Josef Newgarden’s Indianapolis 500 bid fell short on Sunday, as the Team Penske driver was unable to overcome a penalty that forced him to start from the back row of the field.
Penalty and Performance
Newgarden, who won his first IndyCar championship in 2017 and has been a consistent contender for victories in recent years, was docked several positions due to a technical infraction. The infraction involved modifying his car’s rear attenuator, which is designed to reduce drag and improve aerodynamics.
The penalty put Newgarden at a significant disadvantage compared to other drivers who started further up the grid. However, he showed impressive speed throughout the race and was able to climb up through the field quickly.
By Lap 128 of 200 laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s iconic oval track, Newgarden had moved up from his initial position of 32nd all the way up into sixth place. He continued to push hard but ultimately ran out of time as he struggled with fuel pressure issues on Lap 143.
Post-Race Reflections
"I’m grateful for being here," Newgarden said after finishing seventh. "It takes everything – it takes everything – just like every other team out there."
Newgarden’s performance highlighted just how difficult it can be for drivers and teams competing in one-off events like this weekend’s IndyCar Grand Prix at IMS. The event drew some big-name stars from NASCAR, including Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, but also saw many familiar faces missing, including defending champion Marcus Ericsson.
Race Highlights
- Qualifying: Ericsson dominated qualifying last week with an average speed over three laps of nearly 233 mph.
- Grand Prix Victory: Ericsson went on to win Saturday night’s Grand Prix by more than four seconds over second-place finisher Colton Herta.
- Sunday’s Race: Only two cars completed all laps without stopping under green flag conditions, both driven by Andretti Autosport teammates Marco Andretti (10th) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (11th).
Season Overview
The result marked another disappointing finish for Josef Newgarden this season, following early exits at:
- St. Pete (crash)
- Long Beach (fuel pump failure)
- Texas (engine failure)
- Belle Isle (electrical issue)
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