Josef Newgarden once again proved his dominance at the World Wide Technology Raceway, securing his fifth victory at the track in an exciting 260-lap race. However, it wasn't just another day at the office—this victory came with moments of tension and intense drama.
Newgarden found himself in a precarious position on Lap 196 when his car almost spun out. As he pushed the pace through Turn 2, the rear of his car began to show signs of instability. Somehow, he managed to avoid disaster, keeping his Chevrolet away from the barriers. Looking back, he admitted it was a critical moment, saying: “I pushed a little too hard there, made a mistake, and I was just thankful we didn’t crash. I knew we still had a chance to win.”
This near-accident brought to mind Danny Sullivan's famous "spin and win" at the 1985 Indy 500, although Newgarden quickly downplayed the comparison, humorously noting: “It wasn’t as graceful as Danny’s spin.”
For those keeping track, Newgarden has now won four of the last five races at this track near St. Louis, with his only setback last year when he crashed at the end of the race. It’s safe to say he has made this place his home.
Team Penske enjoyed a sweep at this track, with Austin Cindric winning the NASCAR Cup earlier this year. However, the IndyCar race crowd was visibly smaller, with many empty seats in the grandstand. Still, Newgarden's victory was significant, and he acknowledged the role of a well-timed pit stop in his success. “That last pit stop was crucial,” he said. “It’s hard to say what would have happened without it, but it was definitely a key factor in our win.”
This victory marked Newgarden's 31st career win, adding to his triumph at the Indianapolis 500 this year. Meanwhile, reigning series champion Alex Palou extended his championship lead after his closest rival, Will Power, was involved in a late-race crash. Power had led more laps than anyone else but was hit by Alexander Rossi during a restart with just nine laps to go. Frustrated, Power accused his teammate, Newgarden, of inconsistent timing during the restart. “I don’t understand why he kept braking and accelerating, not accelerating,” said Power, visibly annoyed. The crash relegated him to 18th place and dropped him to fourth in the points standings.
Newgarden defended his actions, explaining that he was trying to delay the restart as much as possible but insisted he was within the rules. “The last thing I want to do is cause a crash,” he stated. “Maybe the green light came on a little earlier than I expected, but I certainly wasn’t trying to cause a crash with Will.”
As for Palou, he entered the race with a 49-point lead over Power and now has a 59-point advantage over Colton Herta, who finished fifth after being penalized for blocking. Palou's consistency continues to pay off, and with only four races left in the season, his chances of securing another championship look strong.
Newgarden's path to victory wasn't without challenges. He only took the lead after a crash involving David Malukas with 18 laps to go, which opened the door. In the end, it all came down to a battle between the pit stop teams of Newgarden and McLaughlin, who started from pole position. Last year, fuel strategy decided the race, but this time it was Newgarden's near-perfect execution that secured the win.
Not everyone had a good day, however. Pato O’Ward, who entered the race in fifth place in the standings, had engine problems and retired after just 42 laps. Marcus Ericsson, another strong contender, saw his race end early due to a hybrid system issue. Both drivers were understandably disappointed, with Ericsson lamenting: “We had the car and the speed to win the race. It just wasn’t our day.”
Scott Dixon, who hoped to replicate last year's success with a fuel strategy, had bad luck after Newgarden's spin triggered a late yellow flag just after Dixon had made his stop. He finished two laps down, unable to recover the lost ground.
There was also internal drama at Juncos Hollinger Racing, where both cars were involved in a crash on Lap 17. Conor Daly, in his first race since replacing Augustin Canapino, spun but escaped with less damage than his teammates Romain Grosjean and Kyle Kirkwood.
The next challenge is the final road course race of the season in Portland, Oregon. Palou won there last year, and another strong showing could bring him even closer to his second championship in the series in three years.
