SONOMA, Calif. – Juan Pablo Montoya has been less a consistent motorsports brand than a shape-shifter, competing in Indy cars, Formula One, stock cars and prototypes. He has delivered results in each series and has enjoyed the corresponding benefits.

In earning his second Indy car title in the Verizon IndyCar Series season finale at Sonoma Raceway, he delivered Team Penske its second consecutive Indy car championship – and 14th overall – in its 701st race. Last year, it was teammate Will Power who hoisted the 26-pound Astor Cup in celebration.

And much like his second Indianapolis 500 victory in May, the championships are separated by a racing lifetime. The 16 years between titles is the longest stretch in Indy car history.

Montoya, in his second Verizon IndyCar Series season after the absence to compete in F1 and NASCAR, turned in a consistent, if not dominating, season. He stood atop the standings wire to wire since winning the season opener March 29 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

“It's been a good year,” said Montoya, who turns 40 on Sept. 20. “I think a lot of people expected me last year to be really good from the get-go. I knew it was going to take some time to get used to it.

“We had our struggles last year. We won a race and everything, but we struggled most of the year I felt. So we did a little work over the winter to get where we needed to be. We've been really good all year.”

In 75 Indy car starts, he has 14 victories among 33 top-five finishes and 15 poles. He placed an “8” of 10 on Season 2 with Team Penske.

“I think the beginning of the year was great, opened the season with a win there,” he said. “(St. Pete) showed the hard work we put in in the offseason, but we felt that was the weakest link was the street courses and that's where we put most of our focus, and it paid off.”