Josef Newgarden got here into World Extensive Know-how Raceway with a slight limp and a strolling boot on his left foot, however walked out with {hardware} after successful the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on Sunday night time.
The Tennessee native continued to point out indicators of the battle scars suffered from his crash on the Indianapolis 500 simply two weeks prior. Every week in the past, he leaned on a single crutch transferring from the paddock to pit lane. On Sunday night time, he merely sat on the highest of his #2 Staff Penske Chevrolet as a deluge of confetti and champagne changed the rain that threatened an hour earlier than.
Newgarden began eighth and led 53 of the 260 laps, together with the final 35 when he wanted to fend off the night time’s dominant driver in Marcus Ericsson, who led a race-high 114 laps.
A yr in the past, Newgarden flipped on the frontstretch whereas main, which merely delayed the inevitable record-extending sixth triumph on the 1.25-mile quick oval. It additionally turned the thirty fourth victory of his profession, drawing him stage with Al Unser Jr. for ninth on the all-time wins checklist.
Though Newgarden took house the silverware in a race that ended after midnight ET, a unique forged of characters made up this week’s group of winners and losers.
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WINNER: Marcus Ericsson
Picture by: Penske Leisure
There may be in all probability nobody that hurts greater than Ericsson after Sunday night time, which noticed him cost up from twelfth to guide essentially the most laps earlier than ending second. Nonetheless, it was a reminder to the remainder of the paddock that the Swede hasn’t misplaced his velocity and stays exceptionally fast – necessary elements as he’s within the midst of a contract yr. Not solely was the runner-up his greatest outcome since 2023 (Detroit), his first yr with Andretti International, however he’s additionally already collected extra prime fives via 9 rounds this yr than all of final season. He at present sits ninth within the championship standings, which might probably be just a few notches increased if not for mechanical points plaguing at Lengthy Seashore and the Indianapolis Grand Prix.
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It was a really messy night time for Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, who began on pole. First, there was the early race contact with the lapped driver of Nolan Siegel, which broke the left-front suspension of the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Regardless of Siegel leaving greater than a full lane for Palou to the within of Flip 1, the latter drifted up earlier than delivering, which led to the contact. Upon reviewing, although, Race Management took no motion on the state of affairs. Then the gamble to play the rain technique occurred because the Spaniard was amongst these to pit on Lap 140 in an effort to make it on another cease. He ended up with the lead when the second pink flag was lifted and teammate Scott Dixon, additionally on the identical technique, relinquished the highest spot as a consequence of needing emergency service. Whereas Palou appeared to be in prime place, it evaporated, actually, as he ran out of gas on pit lane and was left coasting to his stall, dropping a number of beneficial positions alongside the way in which. He stayed in the fitting lane (quick lane) as he slowed out of gas, which drew the ire of Newgarden’s strategist, Jonathan Diuguid. Ultimately, Palou completed seventeenth, which, mixed with the Twenty fourth-place outcome at Phoenix, already ties the variety of finishes outdoors the highest 10 with final season.
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Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, Josef Newgarden, Staff Penske
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Christian Rasmussen wanted a lift to jumpstart his season, and he acquired one with a third-place end. He led 5 laps and briefly seemed poised to tug the upset over Newgarden and Ericsson within the closing stage of the race, however merely couldn’t match the tempo over an extended run. Ultimately, the outcome was constructive validation for ECR, who gave him a contract extension only a few days prior regardless of a disastrous run of finishes, together with his crash with Andretti International’s Will Energy at Phoenix Raceway whereas battling for the lead close to the tip. The end at WWTR helped increase Rasmussen up from Twenty fourth to twenty second within the championship standings, the precious ultimate spot of the Leaders Circle.
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LOSER: Pato O’Ward
Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Pato O’Ward has notoriously been a power on the quick oval simply outdoors of St. Louis, Missouri, with 5 podiums, together with 5 runner-up outcomes. Nonetheless, he was nowhere near the entrance this previous weekend, qualifying ninth and ending eleventh – one place behind Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard.
Throughout a media name final week, the Mexican stated, “We have to elevate our recreation, we have to keep centered, and we have to be sure that we not solely are maximizing weekends, however when these are maximized weekends, they have to be wins and podiums, as a result of in any other case, I actually do suppose we’ve got no shot.” He additionally famous this being a “transformation” yr for Arrow McLaren, with this system transferring into a brand new store over the offseason and eventually having the ability to construct necessary elements in-house.
If something, the outcome at WWTR is a stark reminder of how far the workforce is correct now with O’Ward being a non-factor at certainly one of his greatest tracks on the circuit.
Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank w/ Curb-Agajanian
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen by way of Getty Pictures
Usually a ninth-place end can be missed and the motive force wouldn’t make this checklist, however there’s some significance with Marcus Armstrong breaking into it after one other prime 10 efficiency.
The New Zealander is on an unique checklist of three drivers to complete within the prime 10 on all three ovals run thus far this season, becoming a member of Staff Penske’s duo of David Malukas and Scott McLaughlin. Actually, Armstrong’s finishes of fifth (Phoenix), fifth (Indianapolis 500), and ninth (WWTR) additionally imply he’s scored extra prime fives and prime 10s on ovals than street and road programs, a singular statistic contemplating he solely began competing on the left-turn solely tracks in 2024.
Maybe a very powerful factor concerning the newest outcome, although, is it demonstrates Armstrong’s psychological toughness by not permitting the last-lap loss within the Indy 500 to have a hangover impact. He’s tenth within the championship standings, simply 43 factors behind O’Ward in fifth (239-196).
LOSER: Anybody that left or turned the TV off through the two pink flags
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
A 9pm ET begin on a Sunday night time leaves little wiggle room for points in case you’re an informal fan needing to go to work the following day, and sadly this race was hit with a number of pink flags as a consequence of circumstances (rain) that impacted roughly 50 minutes of the occasion. The frontstretch grandstands that have been filled with individuals thinned out increasingly more with every stoppage, with clear views of the aluminum grandstands turning into extra distinguished.
And all of that’s unlucky because the race went the complete distance, ending simply after midnight on the East Coast. For people who remained glued to their seats and televisions, they witnessed a thriller of a race, with 17 lead modifications amongst six leaders. Moreover, although, there was motion all about with 475 whole on-track passes, together with an event-record 268 of these being for place.
Honorable Point out: Caio Collet
Caio Collet, AJ Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
Picture by: Geoff Miller / Lumen by way of Getty Pictures
For the primary time ever, we’re doing an ‘honorable point out’ on this checklist, highlighting Caio Collet.
The Brazilian was extraordinarily spectacular, battling via a rib damage sustained from his crash on the Indy 500 he certified twentieth at WWTR however charged via the sector in direction of the entrance. He managed to guide seven laps and gave the impression to be a risk for, at minimal, a podium earlier than smoke started bellowing from the again of his #4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet 34 laps from the tip.
Collet was credited with ending twenty second, and struggled to include his feelings after such an inspiring efficiency.
“It’s laborious,” he informed FOX Sports activities. “I feel we did the whole lot proper immediately, from the technique to the driving, to the whole lot. It’s racing.”
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