Newgarden Outruns Teammate McLaughlin for Chaotic IndyCar Win at WWTR

Sliding and gliding. Crashing and bashing. Yelling and screaming. And finger-pointing.

Even between teammates.

Saturday night’s IndyCar Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway was more like a Saturday night 50-lapper at your favorite short track.

Josef Newgarden emerged victorious despite an early-race slide through the middle of the track, a mistake that he cushioned by regaining control and missing both walls, and a chaotic late-race restart that was controversial at best.

Newgarden charged away from Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin on the final restart with six laps to go and won by 1.72 seconds. Rookie Linus Lundqvist picked up another podium finish. Colton Herta was fourth and Alex Palou was fifth, but those positions were reversed when Herta was penalized for blocking. The top five drivers were the only finishers on the lead lap.

Most of the day’s squawking came courtesy of Newgarden’s speed – or lack of speed – on the late-race restart. Newgarden, the leader, added a moment of hesitation on the restart, causing issues behind him. Will Power, a Newgarden teammate, slowed, and Alexander Rossi slammed into the rear of Power’s car, the momentum sending Rossi’s front end into the air.

The multi-car crash caused a red flag – and a red face from Power, whose anger was clear as he barked about the restart along pit road. He showed Newgarden a middle finger as the leader passed by. “Whoever is leading, where you’re supposed to go between the turns, he went, he stopped, he went, he stopped,” Power said. “I knew that was going to happen. I knew I was going to get pounded.”

Newgarden said the “worst part” about his victory was “the 12 (Power) not making it home. It kind of looked like the green went out before I went. The last thing you want with 10 to go is to create a mess. I was trying to go as late as I could at the end of the [restart] zone. I’ve done that a lot.”

Newgarden got a big jump on the final restart, winning without a serious challenge from McLaughlin. “My hybrid didn’t work on the last restart,” McLaughlin said. “I couldn’t employ and get close. Obviously, it was all pretty chaotic.”

The series – and perhaps some leftover hard feelings – will be at Portland International Raceway Aug. 25.

Palou Rolls Closer to Championship

Championship point leader Alex Palou remains in excellent position to bring home another title.

The day could have gone the other way for Palou, however.

On the controversial restart during which Alexander Rossi and Will Power crashed, Palou powered his car to the inside as the green flag flew, leaving him in position to avoid the melee.

He went on to take a fourth-place finish and is in control of the point race with four races remaining.

Will Power vs. David Malukas

Will Power had a busy evening.

In addition to becoming one of the victims of race winner Josef Newgarden’s late-race restart issue, Power tangled earlier with David Malukas as they fought for position.

Power and Malukas raced side by side into turn 2. They made contact, sending Malukas into the wall and out of the race.

“I gave him as much room as I could, and he gave me a tap,” Malukas said. “I thought it was a good move. If he’d just stayed in the second lane, we would have been fine.”

Power led a race-high 117 laps.

O’Ward’s Ping-Pong Season Continues

Pato O’Ward watched the end of Saturday’s race from the paddock, his car falling out of the race before the halfway point with engine issues.

O’Ward has scored wins this season at St. Petersburg and Mid-Ohio but also has four finishes of 16th or worse.

“It’s been a year of ups and downs,” O’Ward said. “We’ll look back on the season when it ends, but right now we just want to win races.”