No. 2 Sonsio Dallara/Chevrolet – Josef Newgarden
Start: 3rd
Finish: 1st – 20th career INDYCAR SERIES win
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 260/260
Laps Led: 138
Points Position: 3rd (-22 pts)
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES points table was shaken dramatically Saturday night in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway, and no driver took advantage of his competitor’s misfortune more than Josef Newgarden. The two-time series champ cruised to his second win of the season in the No. 2 Sonsio Chevrolet and now finds himself just 22 markers out of the lead with three races remaining.
Newgarden began the day by posting the fastest lap in the only practice session before qualifying the No. 2 Chevrolet in the third position. The 260-lap race began with myriad caution flags that interrupted the racing action, one of which came on lap 16 when Newgarden and teammate, Simon Pagenaud, made slight contact in the first turn that damaged the front wing on Pagenaud’s No. 22 Chevrolet.
Race strategist Tim Cindric and Newgarden discussed visiting pit road to check for damage to the left-rear wheel of the No. 2 machine but elected to ride it out until the first pit stop of the day. Great pit work by the No. 2 team put Newgarden in position to take the lead on lap 78.
From there it looked like a battle was shaping up between Newgarden and the No. 26 of Colton Herta before Herta retired from the race with an issue. Newgarden masterfully controlled his tire wear and fuel consumption the rest of the way to visit Victory Lane for the 20th time in his career, extending his position as the current winningest American driver in the series.
Quote: “Any win is big. It’s been disappointing on a couple of these last events because I felt like we’ve had winning cars. It was tough to have a not-so-good-race in your hometown of Nashville. And the GP wasn’t great. We came here with just an amazing car. Scott McLaughlin tested for us. He made a whole new package for us. I’m real thankful for my team and teammates and just happy to be falling back into this chase with Team Chevy and having Sonsio on the car tonight was good. Team Penske is good here. I’m so proud of this team! Team Chevy did awesome as you can tell! Great mileage. Great performance. This is so good.”
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
