Newgarden Triumphs at World Wide Technology Raceway
Josef Newgarden clinched his fifth victory at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday night in a thrilling finish that saw him fend off teammate Scott McLaughlin in two critical restarts. Newgarden took the lead during a late pit stop and didn't look back, showcasing his mastery over the 1.25-mile oval track.
Newgarden's race almost took a disastrous turn on Lap 196 when his No. 2 Chevrolet nearly spun out coming out of Turn 2. Miraculously, he managed to keep the car off the wall, a testament to his driving skill and focus. "It just doesn't want to go our way," lamented Marcus Ericsson, clearly frustrated after his own challenges during the race.
With this triumph, Newgarden extended his dominance at the track located just outside St. Louis. This marks his fourth win in the past five years, despite last year's unfortunate crash with 49 laps remaining that snapped his winning streak.
A Night of Triumph for Team Penske
This victory was part of a sweep for Team Penske's No. 2 cars at the venue, coming on the heels of Austin Cindric's triumph in the NASCAR Cup race earlier in the year. Tim Cindric, Penske's president and Austin's father, watched proudly from the team box as Newgarden crossed the finish line.
The race, however, saw smaller crowds compared to the NASCAR event, with several empty seats noticeable in the main grandstand. Nonetheless, the action on the track was nothing short of exhilarating.
Challenges and Comebacks
Will Power, who led the most laps, found himself in trouble late in the race. A collision with Alexander Rossi during a restart with nine laps to go ended his strong run. Power finished a disappointing 18th, dropping him to fourth in the points standings. "I don't know why -- I do not know why -- he would just keep backing up and going, not going," Power expressed his frustration candidly.
The red flag that followed Rossi and Power's crash allowed the crews to clean up the track, setting the stage for a final showdown. On the restart, Newgarden pulled away decisively, remaining unchallenged for the remainder of the race, which ended under caution due to a last-lap wreck.
Newgarden hadn't led until David Malukas's crash with 18 laps to go brought out a pivotal caution. Malukas had been a strong contender with a history of podium finishes at the track. In the final laps, it was effectively a pit crew duel between the teams of Newgarden and McLaughlin, the pole-sitter at the start of the race. This time, strategy and teamwork proved decisive, contrasting sharply with the fuel strategy that handed Scott Dixon victory the previous year.
Marcus Ericsson briefly held the lead for 13 laps, employing a similar fuel strategy to Dixon. However, his race took a downturn as he slowed unexpectedly and then spent extra time in the pits on Lap 149. One lap later, his race was over. Ericsson voiced his exasperation, "We had the car and the speed to win that thing."
Pato O'Ward, another contender with a strong history at the track, faced mechanical issues early on. O'Ward, who had been runner-up in four of the last five races at the venue, retired after just 42 laps due to engine trouble. "It's been a year of ups and downs, and I think at this point we just want to be winning races. There's four to go, so there's plenty of points on the table," O'Ward remarked, still hopeful for the remainder of the season.
Defending series champion Álex Palou managed to extend his points lead amid the chaos, while Scott Dixon found himself caught out of sequence with the leaders following Newgarden's spin, resulting in Dixon being two laps down.
Collision Course
The race wasn't short on dramatic moments, with both Juncos Hollinger Racing cars involved in a crash on Lap 17. Conor Daly, in his first race replacing Augustin Canapino in the No. 78 car, spun on the backstretch. Daly's incident caused significant damage, albeit less severe than that suffered by teammates Romain Grosjean and Kyle Kirkwood.
As the season progresses, attention now shifts to the final road course race set for Sunday, Aug. 25, in Portland, Oregon. Palou, who secured his second series championship last year on that very track, will surely be on everyone's radar.