Honda has had a rough go thus far in the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season. With the introduction of the controversial aero kits, the Japanese manufacturer has grabbed only 14 top-five finishes of 50 total that have been up for grabs this season - that's 28%. 

At this past Saturday's MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, finishing the race was a challenge of its own for the drivers as it was one of the tightest races in a long time for the series. Much has been said about the race that saw what some may consider "pack racing," and plenty of analysis began immediately regarding the safety of the race, as drivers, team owners, and fans expressed negativety toward the danger that took place in the 500-mile event.

With such tight racing, accidents were bound to happen - but only three of the four cars that retired due to contact were powered by Honda (Takuma Sato, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ryan Briscoe). Even before the checkers, Honda was ahead in this regard.

Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing held off a vicious pack to win the MAVTV 500 - a race that featured an Indy car record 80 official lead changes, among many other impressive statistics. This feat earned Honda their third win of the season, following wins in the rain-stricken races at Louisiana and Race 1 at Detroit.

Finishing third was the next Honda, Andretti Autosport's No. 27 entry driven by Marco Andretti. This great result for the two Americans saw Honda dominate the podium, with Chip Ganassi Racing's Tony Kanaan the lone Chevrolet finishing in the top-three. 

The next Honda, rather surprisingly, was James Jakes of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, whose weekend had not gone smoothly at all after blowing an engine in practice on Friday. Jakes finished seventh in the No. 7 car. Jack Hawksworth finished 10th, making it four Hondas in the top-10; this may not sound all too unusual, but the Honda win in a race unaltered by wet weather is something truly special. 

They've been chasing Chevrolet for engine supremacy all year, but the victory in Fontana may be just what the doctor ordered to turn the season around for Honda - and with two more ovals coming up next, Honda challenging for the lead might be something that we suddenly get used to.

Be sure to follow @VAVELIndyCar on Twitter for coverage leading up to and during the ABC Supply Wisconsin 250 at the famed Milwaukee Mile next weekend. 

Brenna Eckhardt is a writer for the VAVEL USA Racing section. Follow her on Twitter at @boburna.