IndyCar ran their championship race over the weekend of September 15th.

Did you know? We watched it and it was only then we saw it was the last race of the season. Granted, the NASCAR “Chase” seemed to cover most of the racing news but you would think there would be some kind of fanfare whipping up about the MAVTV 500 at Fontana to close the Indy season.

Honestly, we were flipping channels and came across it. By chance. The 2011 season ended in October. A mid-September closer for the series was a surprise. It simply slipped our radar.

We’ve said it before. The last race of the IndyCar season should be at Indianapolis. Close the championship with the Indy 500. After all, why put the biggest race of the season and the namesake of the series one third deep in the schedule? Everybody knows the Indy 500. Close the season there. Make it a big deal. Let the season build to the Indy finale. That would be big.

But no. Let’s quietly run it out while nobody is paying attention.

As for the racing… Will Power all but had it bagged with a 17 point lead going in from Baltimore. However, Power seems to be destined as a bridesmaid. Fifty-five laps in for the Verizon Team Penske #12 and it was smack down with a crash out. They managed to get back out for some survival laps later on but it was down and out for Will Power.

Unless…

Ryan Hunter-Reay. If for whatever reason he were to finish below fifth place Power could swing into the championship slot. The race was on for Hunter-Reay to stay on or near the front. As it was, he finished 4th with a 3 point lead over Power. Even that was a push as a late race accident put a red flag out with Hunter-Reay caught in the middle. The restart pushed him but he stayed in it for the finish and the championship.

The race was won by Ed Carpenter after a pass on Dario Franchitti just before Takuma Sato crashed to bring out yellow for the finish. Did you get all that…?

It was a full and action packed race. A championship toss-up, lead changes and challenges, red flags and a last lap caution following a pass of the defending champion by an owner/driver for the race win.

It was the final race of the IndyCar season with the championship on the line. The question, however, remains. Did you know?