INDY LIGHTS: Stoneman predicts title run

If confidence is the key to success, Dean Stoneman is destined to become a 20-time champion before he retires.

Andretti Autosport's Indy Lights rookie just put an incredible month of May in the books with his first series win at the Angie's List Grand Prix doubleheader event on the IMS road course, and backed it up with his second win – this time on the legendary 2.5-mile oval – by producing the closest victory in the Speedway's 105-year history.

"Throughout the race I had full control," he told RACER of the win he took from Carlin Racing's Ed Jones by 0.00024 seconds. "I knew exactly where to place the car. What I noticed is where I put my car affected the cars behind me. I was averaging three to four car length [advantage] out of the corners, which gave me some breathing room and was good. I knew at Phoenix how to do it. I was expecting a lot more passing to be happening. I was thinking me and Ed to be doing more overtaking.

"I led something like 30 laps, and if the safety car hadn't come out I would have won by a big margin. When I was going up to the start/finish line I knew I had him. I could see my wheel was just in front of him. If I had finished second, I would have taken my hat off to him. It was down to the line and whoever got the better exit won. To have the closest finish in history is amazing, and to win on the GP and the oval was also amazing."

The Andretti driver's newfound competitiveness has coincided with the team's development of its Dallara IL15 chassis. The new-for-2015 model, which underwent modest growth with the team last year, has been steered in a far more competitive direction with Stoneman in charge of finding its sweet spot on road courses and, remarkably, on ovals.

"We're working harder on the car with my engineer," he said. "We started off on the back foot because I was brought in so late and have been working night and day. Last year they only had one full-time driver in the championship, so it was hard for someone like Shelby [Blackstock] that's new to the car and doesn't have much knowledge on development to improve the car.

"I'm very clever with engineering a car and what it needs, so we were quick to take an average car and improve it quite a lot. Where it is now is pretty amazing. It wasn't quick and now the car is right where it needs to be."

The cancer-defeating Briton, just five races into his American racing debut, has become the one to watch as the Indy Lights championship speeds toward its finale in September. Stoneman entered Indy holding eighth in the standings, 36 points behind championship leader Jones.

He left May in second, still 29 points shy of Jones who shadowed his every move, but with his aforementioned confidence in mind, Stoneman has no doubt who'll end up on top when the season concludes at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

"We will win the championship," he said. That would be a bold prediction for most drivers, but there was no hint of doubt in Stoneman's voice when he said it.

He has 10 races left to turn his proclamation into reality.