Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden in the No.2 PPG Chevrolet made it back-to-back victories at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday as the Tennessee native came from fourth on the grid in the PPG375 to claim his third victory in the Lone Star state and his second in succession.
Speaking following the race, Newgarden, who ended the race just ahead of Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, said:
I am just so happy to be here for PPG and Team Penske and it was a group effort this weekend. Pato gave me all the respect in the world when he was racing next to me and it was hard, it was hard to race those guys. I think (Alex) Palou was super strong too and there were no gimmies, it was just packed up today. It was very difficult to get away. There were parts where we were really good, parts where we were weaker and when we needed to be good, the car was there at the end. So proud of this team. After St. Pete I was kind of rethinking everything and thinking, ‘can we do this again’. But I am so happy to be here and want to thank Team Chevy for all their support and to PPG obviously. Given the title here, its just a big day for everybody.”
WHEN PATO TOOK OFF AND THERE WERE JUST TWO CARS ON THE LEAD LAP, WERE THINKING NO WAY THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY?
“I knew I needed something to catch back up. Because that stint where he got by me, and ripped a gap, that was my worst stint. I think we went the wrong way with our adjustments, which was my decision. I was the one asking for it and then I wanted to reverse it. But like I said, when we needed the car at the end, it was absolutely there. So, I was worried if we didn’t get help to catch back up that he may run away with it and we lost our chance. But they gave us another chance again and we took it.
Newgarden went on to say:
Pato gave me all the respect in the world when he was racing next to me. “It was really hard to fight those guys. I think (Alex) Palou was super strong, too. There are just no gimmes. It was packed up today, very difficult to get away.
“There were parts when we were good, parts when we were weaker. But when we needed to be good, the car was there at the end.