First Impressions: Iowa 2014

1. If we have learned anything from tonight at Iowa and Texas last month, when there is a late caution on an oval, get tires. Ryan Hunter-Reay and his team made a great call to get tires after Juan Pablo Montoya had an accident with 18 laps to go. It was enough for Hunter-Reay to charge in and spoil the party that was a dominating night for Ganassi and Chevrolet. Andretti Autosport's fifth consecutive Iowa victory, their seventh consecutive short track victory and eighth short track victory in the last nine short track events.

2. Josef Newgarden is turning it around. After poor result after poor result, back-to-back weeks of working strategy to perfection for Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing and got them a podium tonight. If only he could get a senior teammate or have Penske or Ganassi or Andretti pay Sarah Fisher top dollar for him. He has all the skills to win in IndyCar, just needs a little more behind him.

3. Tony Kanaan had a great night but was caught out on tires. Had the caution been three laps longer, he is on the top step of the podium and Hunter-Reay and Newgarden settle for top fives. Kanaan has been knocking on the door but just can't seem to get into victory lane.

4. Scott Dixon solidified Ganassi's dominance tonight. He and Kanaan qualified 1-2 and Dixon was up in the top five all night but just like Kanaan was caught out on older tires. He swept the Toronto doubleheader last year and I am sure he is glad it's the next stop on the IndyCar schedule.

5. Ed Carpenter survived the slaughter that was Hunter-Reay and Newgarden carving their way to the front to come home fifth. He might have to watch out for Montoya after it appeared Carpenter chopped the Colombian, ending his night.

6. James Hinchcliffe was another to survive the slaughter and come home sixth. It is the first time all year Hinchcliffe has finished better than his starting position. The Canadian gained eight positions from his starting position and he heads home to Toronto with something to be proud of.

7. Graham Rahal took new tires and came home seventh. He was on the cusp of the top ten all night as Chevrolet had the upper hand all night. The Target duo, Penske trio, Ryan Briscoe and Robin Hood that is Ed Carpenter were the top seven all night with the Hondas languishing back. It was not a good night as a whole for Honda and they might want to go to the drawing board before Milwaukee next month.

8. Hélio Castroneves exits Iowa with the points lead but not before being carved up. What could have been a podium is barely a top ten. He leads by nine points over Will Power but if Castroneves learned anything from last year, top tens aren't enough for a championship. He is going to need to get wins and podiums if he wants to become champion.

9. Ryan Briscoe was up front all night but like Castroneves, was a dead man walking on old tires. He had a much better night than his ninth place finish will show. Hopefully he can keep it up as the summer goes on.

10. Charlie Kimball benefited from the late stop for tires and salvaged a top ten. He fell back early in the race after a rare top ten start in seventh. Despite having a win and possible 1-2 slip out of Ganassi's grips, putting four cars in the top ten isn't a bad way to end a race.

11. Simon Pagenaud got tires late, as did Carlos Muñoz but neither were able to work the magic spell that Hunter-Reay and Newgarden put on the field. They finished eleventh and twelfth.

12. Justin Wilson was never a factor in this race and came home thirteenth. It could have been much worse but he brought home the car in one piece and some nights that is all you can do.

13. If Castroneves was carved up on that final stint, Will Power was minced into fine microscopic buts. He was fourth and fell to fourteenth after Hunter-Reay pace forced the Australian into the marbles and nearly the wall. This championship is starting to slip from him again.

14. Jack Hawksworth returns with a bruised heart muscle and finishes fifteenth. He may have finished four laps down but this was the type of night Hawksworth needed after the shunt he suffered at Pocono.

15. Juan Pablo Montoya had a great car for naught. He recovered from a rear wing delaminating to be in contention. Montoya could still be in the championship picture but he will need to keep up the results on the road courses.

16. Sebastián Saavedra had the best drive of his career in his 50th career start but in Sebastián Saavedra style put it in the wall. He was passing Montoya and Power and Briscoe and Castroneves and Dixon and was up to second catching Kanaan. But there is a reason Saavedra has finished on the lead lap only 15 times in his career and only once on an oval (this year's Indianapolis 500 in case you are wondering). He hasn't found the ability to stay focused for a whole IndyCar race. He mastered the sprints that are Indy Lights races but still hasn't been able to do it in the big time. You have to wonder after 50 starts if he ever will.

17. Marco Andretti's engine failure appeared to be the cherry on top the crap night for Honda when Chevrolet held the top seven positions. Of course Hunter-Reay and Newgarden turned that around but Andretti Autosport had another good night for one of their cars end in a mechanical failure. Ganassi and Penske don't seem to have these problem and neither does Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports. Andretti Autosport's shaky reliability could cost them from staying in the championship picture.

18. IndyCar was able to get a great finish in but I would like the series to make a decision on red flagging races late. They can't just pull it out willy-nilly for the Indianapolis 500 and the final race of the year when the championship is on the line. They have to chisel in stone a rule saying when and when not it can be used. I said after Indianapolis the rule should be between 5 and 15 laps to go, the lead race official may use a red flag once to clean up an accident. I thought it should have been used tonight, especially because of how quick even caution laps are at Iowa. IndyCar has to make this rule and not use it when it is most convenient.

19. On to Toronto. The final doubleheader and final street course of 2014.