Newgarden continues Penske dominance at Iowa with 4th win

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Josef Newgarden was livid when he was crushed by his teammate for the pole at Iowa Speedway.

He overcame his fury by profitable the race.

Newgarden prolonged the Crew Penske dominance at Iowa by profitable the primary race of a weekend doubleheader Saturday. It was the American’s fourth victory on the shortest observe on the IndyCar schedule.

“Sadly I get so aggravated as of late once I miss it. It is not that I need to be a sore loser, However I simply am so aggressive that it’s irritating to me once we do not execute completely,” Newgarden mentioned. “That is the best way my thoughts works. So I used to be very motivated to get the race win.”

Newgarden raced to his series-best fourth victory of the season and moved from fourth to second within the tight IndyCar championship battle. Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson completed eighth and had his lead within the standings sliced to fifteen factors over Newgarden.

Newgarden had been 44 factors out of the championship lead going into the race on the 0.894-mile oval and might make up much more floor when IndyCar completes its doubleheader Sunday.

“Tomorrow shouldn’t be a given. I can inform you that we’ve got a superb automotive and we did a superb job as we speak,” Newgarden mentioned. “However that doesn’t assure tomorrow’s race.”

Crew Penske drivers have gained six of the final seven races at Iowa, which landed native grocer Hy-Vee as title sponsor of the doubleheader leisure extravaganza that features a pair of races and musical performances by Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton.

As Newgarden celebrated his win, he needed to converse louder to be heard over the Florida Georgia Line live performance that his spouse was attending on the frontstretch of the speedway. He additionally plotted a post-race dinner journey to Wahlburgers to help Sunday’s grand marshal, actor Mark Wahlberg.

Pato O’Ward completed second for Arrow McLaren SP and was adopted by pole-sitter Will Energy of Penske and Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing as Chevrolet took the highest 4 spots. Earlier Saturday, Energy gained the pole for each races to maneuver him one away from Mario Andretti’s file of 67.

Energy mentioned he wasn’t disenchanted to fall wanting the victory.

“You by no means look again at a day that ending third is a foul factor,” Energy mentioned. “There’s a couple of issues that I might have achieved a little bit bit higher and being a bit extra aggressive with the instruments within the automotive. But it surely’s a superb factors day each time.”

Scott Dixon, who final week tied Andretti for second on the IndyCar win listing with 52, completed fifth for Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon was adopted by six extra Honda drivers, together with Ganassi teammate Alex Palou and Romain Grosjean of Andretti Autosport.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson overcame an early spin to weave his manner into first the lead, after which a constant spot inside the highest 5. He made a number of daring passes within the excessive lane, together with a nail-biting three-wide cross to select off two different drivers.

Earl Barban, Johnson’s longtime spotter, radioed that cross “goes to make a spotlight reel” and the Ganassi crew requested Johnson if he was having fun with the 250 laps round Iowa in 100-degree temperatures.

“Yeah, it is a blast,” Johnson replied.

His spin was precipitated when he tried one thing from his NASCAR days by dropping two tires onto the painted line in a seek for extra grip.

“In case you consider tracks like Atlanta or Richmond within the Cup automobiles, in all probability Kevin Harvick was one of many first ones to reveal in the event you drive on the painted line, it should assist flip the automotive and create some grip. I simply tried it and it didn’t work,” Johnson mentioned. “I used to be working decrease and decrease in (turns) three and 4. It was working nicely. I assumed, ‘Let me simply put the left sides on the painted strains.’ I used to be backward immediately. It was only a mistake on my behalf.”

Regardless of his comeback, Johnson light to eleventh within the closing sequence as solely 5 drivers completed on the lead lap.

“These automobiles actually reward confidence. A Cup automotive, I feel they reward endurance and finesse. There’s a unique talent set that goes with it,” Johnson mentioned. “You’re going so rattling quick in these items, the extra downforce it creates, the boldness actually rewards you. I hope tomorrow I’ve a fair sharper efficiency.”

Newgarden, in the meantime, has led 1,358 of two,250 laps in his final eight visits to Iowa. However even along with his fourth win of the yr, the championship battle nonetheless consists of 5 drivers separated by 59 factors with six races remaining.

“I feel it has been very entertaining from a fan standpoint — nobody is getting away from anyone,” Newgarden mentioned. “We’re all simply collectively. I do not understand how it is going to play out. I actually do not.”

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