At the end of September, the Verizon IndyCar Series handed out its season awards at its Victory Lap event in Indianapolis, but IndyCar.com isn’t quite done handing out awards.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll dive deep into the analytics of the 2018 season to find the driver who had the best year according to our data.

Analysis of raw loop data in several categories will help us decide the winner of each award and the driver with the most awards will be crowned the Speedy "Driver of the Year."

This week, we’ll recognize The Speedy Award for Average Running Position Award, awarding the driver who had the best average after adding driver position on each lap – then dividing it by the laps run in each race.

The finalists are:

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing

Want to know how Scott Dixon won the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series championship? He was consistently up front. Dixon had an average running position of 6.36 during the 2018 season and had an average finish of 4.2. That’s how you finish in the top five in more than 50 percent of your Indy car starts.

Will Power, Team Penske

With an average starting position of 2.8, Will Power started at the front at every Verizon IndyCar Series race in 2018. But he also stayed near the front when his car was on the track. Power’s average running position of 5.39 was best among all drivers this season.

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske

Josef Newgarden, like his teammate Will Power, was found running near the front of nearly every race in 2018. Newgarden’s average starting position was 5.2 and his average running position of 6:03 proves he could stay among the front-running cars.

Robert Wickens, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

The Sunoco Rookie of the Year made a huge splash by winning the pole for his series debut and it was just an indicator of what was to come. Wickens had seven top-five finishes in 14 starts and had an average running position of 6.36 for the races he competed in, which was tied for third with Scott Dixon.

And the winner of the Speedy Award for the best average running position is Will Power, who made the most of great qualifying. If not for bad luck as some races, he could have had his second championship along with the Indy 500.

Previous awards:

Alex Zanardi “Overtaker of the Year”

Closer

Restart King

Most Valuable Pit Crew

“Excuse Me, Coming Through” Trophy