Recent history says Montoya won't win the title

Just one man has led the IndyCar standings the entire season and his name is Juan Pablo Montoya. From his victory at St. Pete in March to his fourth-place finish at Milwaukee, only the Colombian has been in control.

An exceptional season

In the last five races, his advantage has grown substantially from 11 points to 54, exceeding the maximum amount of points up for grabs in any given race (sans the Indianapolis 500 and the season finale).

Only once has this aggressive, yet consistent racer failed to finish inside the top ten. His impeccable 2015 run makes him appear bullet proof and in reality, only bad luck could shake his stranglehold on the title.

Just four races remain for anyone that wishes to take away Montoya's crown with two road courses and two ovals left. It's worth noting that JPM has won on both types of circuits this year.

JPM's closest threats

His biggest challenge would likely come from Scott Dixon, a veteran with over 250 starts, 37 wins, and three championships to his credit. To rule this formidable racer out now would be nothing short of foolish.

Then you have Graham Rahal who hasn't gone anywhere after a strong run out of the gate, despite some believing he would fall back as the year progressed. On the contrary, the RLL Racing team has only improved.

Rahal is caught up in what is almost a three-way tie for third, equal to Helio Castroneves and just one point clear of Will Power - Montoya's teammates.

Recent years don't lie

Defeating Montoya at this point this season would not be unprecedented either. In 2013, Dixon made up a total of 66 points on Castroneves to win the title. In 2014, Power made up 75 on Castroneves to do the same.

As stated before, the current margin is 54pts, less than what these drivers overcame in the previous two title fights. It's far from over, but this is also different year and a different name in the crosshairs.

Montoya hasn't shown any Achilles Heel-esque weakness and I don't expect that Team Penske squad to start showing any now. And remember, the 1999 CART champion has been in this position before.

The double points factor

The 100 points on the line in the finale is still a major wild card, yes, but not nearly as much as it used to be when Fontana was still the final race of the year, rather than Sonoma. Can you imagine if the MAVTV 500 we witnessed in June was the title-decider? Pure, unmitigated madness that would have been... (and maybe just what IndyCar needed).

Sonoma is a much tamer and more predictable race, but still, don't make the mistake of handing that trophy over to Juan Pablo Montoya just yet.