JOLIET, Illinois - Jeff Simmons can only wonder what might have been if he could have started his season as consistently as he finished the year. Simmons driving the No. 17 Team Ethanol Honda/Dallara/Firestone posted his sixth top-ten result in the last seven IndyCar Series races when he finished eighth at Chicagoland in the PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300. Simmons started his rookie campaign by posting a DNF in four of his first five races. He began his reversal of fortune at Kansas with his first top-ten result."

"Everybody was playing a little rough out there today," said Simmons who was runner up in Rookie of the Year competition and finished 16th in the championship. "I guess some guys were racing for jobs. I couldn't believe the blocking in the packs. After the first pit stop, the Team Ethanol car felt good and we were able to run with the second pack. The Ganassi and Penske cars were in a class by themselves, but we held our own with the next group and it was great to get a feel for how it is up front. Helio (Castroneves) and I got together at one point and I wanted to let him by since he was racing for the championship, but we were all in the pack and I was racing with other guys for position. The racing at the end was pretty intense. I thought I had a shot at a top five today, but we just missed out. Overall, it was a pretty good day for the Ethanol guys and I look forward to getting with them in the off season. We can start developing the program all year rather than playing catch up like we did this year."

Danica Patrick drove her final race with RLR and ran in and out of the top-ten all day. Seemingly fighting a lack of power, Patrick's crew changed an engine on Saturday night, but the new power plant didn't produce the desired boost. "I thought that the engine change would make a difference, but we obviously had something else wrong because at the end of the day I didn't have enough speed to pass people," said Patrick who finished ninth in the championship. "It is frustrating to end the season this way, but at least the car is in one piece and we weren't crashed out like last year at Fontana. You are always looking to end the season on a high note and we ran well, but not as well as I would have liked. It has been a bit of an emotional day for me. I have been with Rahal Letterman Racing for almost five years and it has been a great period of my life. I am looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead, but I will always remember my time at Rahal Letterman and what Bobby Rahal and David Letterman did for me."

Buddy Rice started ninth and ran solidly on the cusp of the top-five, but a late race pit stop mishap left the No. 15 Argent Mortgage Honda/Dallara/Firestone down a lap in 13th.

"I felt badly for the Argent crew at the end," said Rice who finished 15th in the championship. "We were in a great position to race for a top five and raced in that second pack. But on the last (pit) stop, we came sixth or seventh and we were looking for a quick stop, but we had the fuel probe get hooked up and I was ready to leave and had to slam on the brakes. The engine stalled and we were left behind. We went from seventh to 13th in that stop and never could get back with the pack. Unfortunately, that is how our season has gone. We work hard to get back up into the competitive mix and something happens. Now we have to regroup and get ready for 2007."

The 2006 IRL IndyCar Series championship was won by Sam Hornish Jr. who finished third at Chicagoland. Hornish and Chicagoland winner Dan Wheldon actually tied in the final standings at 475 points each, but Hornish won the title based on the tie-break of most wins. Hornish' Penske teammate Helio Castroneves finished third just two points behind.