Colombian-American driver Gabby Chaves spent his rookie year, fresh from his title-winning season in the Indy Lights series, in the No. 98 Honda of Bryan Herta Autosport for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
Gabby Chaves
Races: 16
Average finishing position: 14.43
The 2014 Indy Lights champion finished in the points in 15 out of the 16 events in the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series season with his sole retirement taking place at the end of the tragic race at Pocono Raceway due to a mechanical failure.
The highlights of the season for Chaves and the BHA squad were a ninth-place result at Race 2 in Detroit, cutting his finishing position in half from Race 1 the day before, and the very next race, the Firestone 600, where he crossed the line 10th. With these results Chaves took Rookie of the Year honors with ease against the likes of Sage Karam and Stefano Coletti who experienced more hit-or-miss seasons.
What went right?
Gabby Chaves was given the full Verizon IndyCar Series experience, and it lived up to both the expectations we had for the rookie driver as well as the maturity level necessary to compete in the top level of North American open-wheel racing.
Giving the rookie a chance was great for Chaves and the BHA team, and with his return being very likely for 2016, it'll be the first time the team hangs onto a driver for more than one year since Alex Tagliani, who drove for the single-car squad in 2012 and '13.
What went wrong?
The most devastating part of the season for the team's lone entry was perhaps the end of the race at Pocono Raceway, which saw a mechanical failure strike the No. 98 car of Chaves, taking away what would have been an absolutely incredible result for the Colombian.
Looking ahead to 2016
As was mentioned above, it doesn't seem as though Chaves is going anywhere else but back in the No. 98 Honda for 2016. This will mark his second season with the team and his second season in the Verizon IndyCar Series, and the young Colombian driver becoming a bit more of an occasional contender is to be expected.
Follow @VAVELIndyCar on Twitter for comprehensive coverage of the Verizon IndyCar Series during the duration of the offseason.