MADISON, Ill. – Roger Penske may own Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but one of his drivers, Josef Newgarden, owns World Wide Technology Raceway.
Newgarden won the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 for the third time in six races with an impressive drive Saturday at the 1.25-mile short oval. Newgarden’s No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet was out front for 138 of the 260 laps in the race.
It couldn’t have come at a more opportune time in the battle for the NTT IndyCar Series championship.
RESULTS: Bommarito Automotive Group 500
A lap-65 crash took out championship leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing. Palou’s 20th-place finish took him from a 21-point lead over Pato O’Ward to a 10-point deficit, a swing of 31 points. Also involved in the crash was Scott Dixon, whose No. 9 Honda was able to be repaired and ultimately returned to the race, but he finished 19th.
O’Ward’s No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet finished .5397 seconds behind Newgarden’s race-winning Chevrolet.
“It’s a very big points day for us, but man, it’s so tight,” O’Ward said. “There are still 150 points on the table. But at least we are on the right path. It would be great to rack up a few more podiums and go to Long Beach and see where we stand.
“I was happy. In a perfect world, it’s not ideal that Josef beat us, but the guy had everything to win here. The only way I could challenge was if he got stacked up behind some lapped cars, but they were very respectful.”
It was also advantageous for the race winner, who entered the contest fourth in points, 55 behind Palou. He is now third, 22 points out of the lead with three races remaining.
“That definitely helps a lot,” Newgarden said. “It’s about time something came our way. It helped a lot today and the win helps a lot. Will was super quick today and Scott McLaughlin is a rookie that tested here. He helped develop a lot of the things I tried on the car today. I feel really confident about where we are going.”
Power finished third for his fourth podium of the season and the 85th of his career.
“I was really happy to finish third,” Power said. “I didn’t have the car to finish for the win. I struggled to get the car in the window. Stoked to be third.
“I was playing the long game because I wanted to hit my fuel number. I don’t think I could beat Newgarden or Pato.
“I expect us to be competitive for the next three races.”
Dixon dropped to fourth in points, 43 out of the lead with three races remaining. He said there was some erratic and crazy driving, and that Race Control needs to look into that
The winner concurred.
“I think people are driving aggressively these days and you have to match it sometimes,” Newgarden said. “They push the cars to the limits and how much you can touch and not touch. I feel and understand and agree with him that people are driving aggressively these days.”
It was a race that featured some wild swings with some of the top contenders dropping out because of attrition.
Power started on the pole but was jumped on lap two by Colton Herta, who would go on to lead 101 laps before a half-shaft broke while leading the race on lap 185.
That put Newgarden and O’Ward back up front before Alexander Rossi, another contender, backed his car into the turn two wall on lap 201.
In the end, it was Newgarden who was able to put together the best race and have it come at a perfect time in the closing battle for the championship.
“I’ve always liked short ovals,” Newgarden said. “It’s some of the most fun racing out there. These are the guys I’m racing. It’s hard to win in this series.
“But past success does not guarantee future success on these tracks.
“We have to keep this up. We are doing a good job now, but it can swing really quickly, and we can be out of it after Portland. We’re not in a cushiony position. We have to have a solid end to the season, here.”