They Have the Credentials

Today, we examine what current Indycar drivers have done in the past, as in what championsips, and other major successes they have accomplished. This is meant to show you that the drivers in Indycar are in no way a fluke and the field itself is stacked all around (alphabetical by first name): 

Alex Tagliani

2011 Indianapolis 500 Pole Sitter
1993-1995 Multiple Karting Titles in Quebec and Canada

Charlie Kimball

4th place in 2010 FIL Championship
1st licensed professional driver with diabetes 

Dario Franchitti

2001 Greg Moore Legacy Award
2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 Indycar Champion

2007, 2010 Indianapolis 500 Champion

Ed Carpenter

Back to back 3rd place finished in 2000, 2001 FIL Championships

EJ Viso

2003 National Class British F3 Champion

Graham Rahal

2011 24 Hours of Daytona Winner

Youngest winner in Indycar history

Helio Castroneves

2001, 2002, 2009 Indianapolis 500 Winner

2001 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year

James Hinchcliffe

2004 Top rookie in Formula BMW USA

2010 Greg Moore Legacy Award

2011 Tony Renna Rising Star Award

James Jakes

2003 T-cars runner up in championship

2004 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award Nominee 

Josef Newgarden

2006 Junior Yamaha Champion

2006 Junior TAG World Champion
2011 FIL Champion

JR Hilldebrand

2003 Jim Russell Arrive and Drive Championship Champion

2004 Formula Russell Champion

2006 USF 2000 Champion (won 13 of the 17 races that season)

2009 FIL Champion

Justin Wilson

2001 Formula Audi Champion

2006, 2007 Greg Moore Legacy Award Winner

Katherine Legge

2001 BRDC Rising Star Award

2005 RACER Mag Most Promising Road Race of the Year

Marco Andretti

2004 Barber National Champion

2006 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year

2006 Indycar Rookie of the Year

Mike Conway

2004 Formula Renault Champion

2006 British F3 Champion

2006 National Driver of the Year (Autosport)

Oriol Servia

1999 FIL Champion

2005 Champ Car Championship runner up 

Paul Tracy

1985 Canadian Formula Ford Champion

1990 American Racing Series Champion

2003 Champ Car Champion

Rubens Barrichello

1990 Formula Opel Lotus Euroseries Champion

1991 British Formula 3 Champion

1993 Formula 1 Indoor Trophy Champion
1993-2011 Most Formula 1 Starts in History With 326

Ryan Briscoe

2001 Italian Formula Renault Champion

2003 Formula 3 Euroseries Champion

Ryan Hunter-Reay

1999 Skip Barber Big Scholarship

1999 Skip Barber Formula Dodge Series Champion

2002 WorldCom Rising Star Award

2007 Indycar Rookie of the Year

2008 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year

Scott Dixon

1994 NZ Formula Vee Class II Champion

1995 NZ Formula Ford Class II Champion

1996 NZ Formula Ford Class I

1998 Australian Drivers Champion

2000 FIL Champion

2001 CART Rookie of the Year

2003, 2008 Indycar Champion

2008 Indianapolis 500 Champion

Sebastien Bourdais

1991 Marine Bretagne League Champion 

1993 Cadet France Champion

1998 French F3 Champion

2002 Formula 3000 Champion

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Champ Car Champion

Simon Pagenaud

2006 Champ Car Atlantic Champion

2010 ALMS LMP1 Champion

Simona de Silvestro

2010 Tony Renna Rising Star Award

Takuma Sato

2000 British Formula 3 Champion

2001 Macau Grand Prix Champion

2001 Master of Formula 3 Champion

Tony Kanaan

1994 Firmula Europa Boxer Champion

1997 FIL Champion

2004 Indycar Champion

Will Power

2000 Queensland Formula Ford Champion

2002 Australian Drivers Champion

2006 Champ Car Rookie of the Year

2010, 2011 Indycar Runner Up

There are a lot of damn good accolades in that list. People should in no way question the legitimacy of the Indycar Series, and if they do, they need to see the above list of accomplishments. they all have the credentials.

-Matthew Hickey