FONTANA, Calif. — Ryan Hunter-Reay put the American flag back atop the IndyCar podium by snatching the championship away from Will Power in the season finale.

Power, denied for a third consecutive year, was in street clothes watching Saturday night’s finish on television after crashing out early at Auto Club Speedway. His exit from the race meant Hunter-Reay, who entered the race trailing Power by 17 points, had to finish fifth or better to claim his first championship in a major series.

He wound up fourth — becoming the first American since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006 to win the title — but it certainly wasn’t easy.

Hunter-Reay struggled all week at California, even wrecking in Wednesday’s open test session, and was off at the start of the race. But he picked his way through the field and was on the edge of where he needed to finish as the laps wound down.

Still, a flurry of late cautions made for some hair-raising restarts and a late red-flag that drew the ire of team owner Michael Andretti. Hunter-Reay managed to hang on in a race that was won by Ed Carpenter, another American.

“I raced for my life. I cannot believe we are IndyCar champions. I cannot believe this,” Hunter-Reay said. “My dream has come true.”

Power, an Australian who has finished second in the points three years in a row, visited Hunter-Reay after the finish.

“At the end of the day, Hunter-Reay is a deserving champion, a real fighter,” Power said. “I’ve lost the championship three years in a row. I feel bad for Penske Racing.”

Power crashed 55 laps into the race, spinning hard into the outside wall when his car slipped in a seam in the track. It’s the third consecutive year Power has gone into the finale with the title on the line and had an incident snatch away his chances.

He brushed the wall at Homestead in 2011 and lost the title by five points to Dario Franchitti. Last year, his points lead was gobbled up when another car hit him on pit road in the penultimate race, and he was involved in the 15-car accident that killed Dan Wheldon in the finale.

Power broke his back in that accident in Las Vegas.

“Man, depressing,” Power said after leaving the wreck. “I wish I could care less.”

Power laughed nervously, searching and failing to find the right words to describe his frustration.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s depressing,” he said. “Depressing to lose the championship again that way. Nothing I can say, mate, it’s just depressing. I don’t know what emotion to even feel right now.”

Also on Saturday:

Johnson wins pole for Chase opener

JOLIET, Ill. — Jimmie Johnson won the pole for the Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway — an impressive start for the five-time champion whose streak of Cup titles came to an end last year. The 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup begins with today’s 400-mile race. Johnson’s run of five straight championships was snapped last season, when Tony Stewart took the title.

Stenhouse Jr. races to fifth Nationwide win of year

JOLIET, Ill. — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. raced to his fifth Nationwide Series victory of the year to take the season points lead, easily outlasting Kyle Busch at Chicagoland Speedway. Stenhouse passed Busch with 20 laps to go in the 300-mile race, and there wasn’t much Busch could do to catch him. Stenhouse, the 2011 series champion, has won two of the past four races — and finished second in the other two.

Langdon tops qualifying in NHRA playoff

CONCORD, N.C. — Shawn Langdon earned the No. 1 qualifying position in Top Fuel in the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, the first event in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Langdon had a run of 3.807 seconds at 324.12 mph to take his second consecutive No. 1 qualifying position.