The final race weekend of the year has quickly arrived. 

Following the devastating week that our sport has endured, one race remains to decide who will claim the Astor Cup after what has been a simply remarkable season.

The drivers, fans and all in between have experienced both extreme highs and devastating lows through this 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season, and it is time to decide the champion at last - with a true champion in our thoughts.


Weekend Schedule - (all times Eastern)

Friday, August 28

- Practice 1: 5:30 - 9:00 pm

Saturday, August 29

- Practice 2: 1:45 - 2:30 pm

- Qualifying: 6:05 - 7:15 pm

Sunday, August 30

- Final practice: 1:00 - 1:30 pm

- Race: 5:00 - 7:30 pm


Pre-Race Notebook

- The GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma will be the 10th road/street course race of the 2015 schedule with a different driver winning eight of the previous nine: Juan Pablo Montoya (St. Petersburg), James Hinchcliffe (NOLA Motorsports Park), Scott Dixon (Long Beach), Josef Newgarden (Barber Motorsports Park and Toronto), Will Power (Grand Prix of Indianapolis), Carlos Munoz (Detroit Race 1), Sebastien Bourdais (Detroit Race 2) and Graham Rahal (Mid-Ohio).

- This weekend's race will mark the 12th Indy car race at Sonoma Raceway. Dixon is the defending race winner. Power has won four of the last five pole positions. This will be the fourth race on the 12-turn, 2.385-mile layout; the series formerly competed on a 12-turn, 2.303-mile layout from 2005-2011.

- Power and Dixon are the only drivers to win at Sonoma more than once, as Dixon won the race in 2007 and 2014 while Power won the races in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Past winners Dixon, Power, Ryan Briscoe (2012), Helio Castroneves (2008), Marco Andretti (2006) and Tony Kanaan (2005) are entered in this year's race.

- There have been five different pole winners in the previous 10 Indy car races at Sonoma. Briscoe (2005), Dixon (2006), Dario Franchitti (2007, 2009, 2013), Castroneves (2008) and Power (2010-12 and 2014). All but Franchitti are entered at Sonoma this weekend.

- Three drivers have won the race from the pole - Castroneves (2008), Franchitti (2009) and Power (2010-11).

- Three drivers have competed in every Indy car race at Sonoma: Castroneves, Dixon and Kanaan. Dixon is the only driver to complete every lap of every race at Sonoma.

- Power has three wins and four poles in his five previous starts at Sonoma.

- Briscoe has four podium finishes in nine previous starts at Sonoma.

- Team Penske has won at Sonoma five times, including four of the last five races with Power (2010-11 and 2013) and Briscoe winning in 2012. 

- Chip Ganassi Racing has won three times at Sonoma with Dixon having been victorious in 2007 and 2014 and Franchitti in 2009. 

- Andretti Autosport has won twice with Kanaan in 2005 and Andretti in 2006. 

- With its next Indy car race win, Ganassi will earn its 100th Indy car race win. The most recent Ganassi race win was earned by Dixon at the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway in early June.

- Kanaan seeks to start his 249th consecutive race this weekend, which would extend his Indy car record streak that began in June 2001 at Portland. His Ganassi teammate Dixon looks to make his 190th consecutive start this weekend.


Follow @VAVELIndyCar on Twitter to ensure you don't miss our coverage of the final Verizon IndyCar Series race weekend of the year.


Aaron Durant is the editor of the VAVEL USA Racing section. Follow him on Twitter at @DoubleA291.

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About the author
Aaron Durant
Eighteen-year-old aspiring motorsports journalist. I lead The Apex as its editor-in-chief. Read my work at TheApex.racing.