2008 IndyCar Series season
| 2008 IndyCar season | |
|---|---|
| IndyCar Series | |
 |
|
| Season | |
| Races | 19 |
| Start date | March 29 |
| End date | October 26 |
| Awards | |
| Drivers' champion |
 Scott Dixon
|
| Rookie of the Year |
 Hideki Mutoh
|
| Indianapolis 500 winner |
Scott Dixon
|
The 2008 IndyCar Series was the 13th season of the IndyCar Series. Its premier event was the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on May 25. The first race was held March 29, at Homestead. It was the 97th recognized season of top-level American open wheel racing, which will remembered as the season that ended the Champ Car/IRL rivalry from 1996 to 2007.
All races were televised on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPN Classic. All IndyCar Series broadcasts continued to utilize the popular Side-By-Side format in their first year of HD broadcasts. Races were also broadcast on the IMS Radio Network and XM.
On February 26, 2008, the managements of IRL and Champ Car came to an agreement to become one entity. The move effectively ended a twelve-year split and reunited American open wheel racing, resulting to the cancellation of the 2008 Champ Car World Series.
Scott Dixon driving for Chip Ganassi Racing won the first unified title for 13 years after completing the IndyCar–Indy 500 double. Dixon was the driver with the largest amount of race wins with six victories over the course of the season but had to fend off a consistent championship challenge from Hélio Castroneves during the final round at Chicagoland Speedway.
The original 16 race schedule, which was released on September 16, 2007, became a 19 race schedule (18 championship and 1 Non-Championship) on February 26, 2008. Some of the Champ Car races in Toronto, Houston, and Road America were added years later.
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