Josef Newgarden dominates again at World Wide Technology Raceway
The king of World Wide Technology Raceway has reclaimed his throne. In a chaotic race interrupted by two rain delays, Josef Newgarden took his sixth victory in 11 starts at the 1.25-mile oval. It is a stunning return to form for the Team Penske driver, who was battling a lower leg injury sustained at the Indianapolis 500 just two weeks ago.
Starting eighth, Newgarden steered his No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet to the win by .6613 of a second. The race was a masterclass in track position, culminating in a ferocious battle with Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet of ECR. The two swapped the lead repeatedly before Newgarden locked it down on Lap 221. Marcus Ericsson, driving the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda, chased him hard in the final laps but could not close the gap, eventually settling for second.
While Newgarden managed the restart with perfection, others gambled and lost. Chip Ganassi Racing tried a fuel-saving strategy for Alex Palou and Scott Dixon during the red flags, but the plan backfired when both drivers struggled with fuel issues. Palou eventually finished 17th after his No. 10 HRC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda suffered a stalling issue in the pits, leaving the championship leader's gap at 49 points over Kyle Kirkwood.
