Josef newgarden tops d.c. Warmup ahead of the freedom 250 grand prix

Now, here is a stunning twist for you. The final on-track session before the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. was led Sunday morning by none other than Josef Newgarden. The two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner clocked a fastest time of 57.6076 seconds in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet. It was a massive moment for the weekend, marking the first time a Chevrolet-powered driver has topped the time sheet at this historic first-ever motor race in the nation's capital.

That said, Newgarden has endured a tough road lately, still recovering from a lower leg injury he suffered in an Indy 500 crash in May. He managed a disappointing 16th in qualifying for the 147-lap, 250-mile race. Thankfully, grid penalties for unauthorized engine changes on the cars of Nolan Siegel and Marcus Ericsson will bump Newgarden up to start 14th when the green flag waves shortly after 1 p.m. Fans can catch the pre-race live at 11:30 a.m. ET on FOX, FOX One, and the INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.

Meanwhile, NTT P1 Award winner Alex Palou slotted into second with a time of 57.6858 in the No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou has been an absolute force, landing in the top two of all four sessions this weekend on the seven-turn, 1.7-mile circuit that snakes around the National Mall, past historic monuments, and right in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol building. Right behind him, David Malukas put a second Team Penske machine in the top three with a lap of 57.8364 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

Kyle Kirkwood secured fourth with a 57.8768 in the No. 27 Sam's Club Honda of Andretti Global, continuing a fast weekend where he also finished in the top two of all three sessions on Saturday. Kirkwood is set to start second on the grid. Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top five at 57.8009 in the No. 28 Acura Honda, giving Andretti Global two cars at the tail end of the top five. Ericsson—who won last Sunday in Markham, Ontario—will certainly need that extra pace, because his unauthorized engine change penalty drops him from 15th all the way back to 21st on the starting grid.