Josef Newgarden in the No.2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet scored his fifth victory at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday night.
The Tennessee native who started the race from third place on the grid and overcame a late spin in the chaotic race to claim victory at World Wide Technology Raceway, the win came despite controversy late in the race where he was criticized by his own teammate’s Scott McLaughlin and in particular Will Power for how he made his restart in the race with ten laps to go which caused a concertina effect and result in Will Power being hit from behind by Alexander Rossi.
Speaking following the race, Josef Newgarden said:
“It was just a hard fight to the end. “It was really tough trying to get it right with traffic, and time the pit-stop sequences.
“Then at the end, if you ask how we got it done, we had a fast car, for sure. I think we were really good in traffic, which was a difference maker, but then you can’t ignore that final pit stop was a big deal for us. It’s hard to say if it works out if we don’t get that done, but it certainly was a key ingredient to us winning the race so our guys in the pit lane, it’s a big credit to them.”
Speaking about the outcome of the wreck that happened in the closing stages of the race which he was found not be at fault for causing by INDYCAR, Newgarden said:
“It was definitely late. “I was trying to go as late as I could … It’s not that different of a restart than I’ve done before. I’ve done a lot of restarts from the front and it’s not that different from other restarts that have gone late. So I don’t know that I’d change much.
“It’s the last thing you want to happen at the end. I mean I don’t want to create a wreck, so I wasn’t trying to do that. It was not my intention. I don’t know that I’d do much different.”
Scott McLaughlin in the No.3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet started the race from pole and had a great fight with Newgarden and speaking following the action he said:
“It was a little difficult at the start. “I definitely don’t think I was the best car by any means. But once the race started coming to us, I really thought we had a really good chance there. I mean the last yellow was good for us, and then all the kerfuffle at the end. Ultimately, it was just nice to bring home really good points, and we’ll just keep this momentum rolling.”
Will Power in the No.12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet was far from happy with his teammate as Newgarden’s late restart caused the collision that ultimately ended Power’s race and as a result of the DNF, Power has dropped from second in the championship to fourth and speaking following the race, Power who gave Newgarden the one finger salute commented saying:
I think the leader went real late and then someone checked up in front of me and I just got pounded. Man, a tough points night for us. So disappointing. We had such a good car. We have had really bad luck in the last two races. We will keep fighting and see if we can get the Verizon Chevy up there. That will be pretty tough from here, but I don’t know why. I do not know why they would keep backing it up. It’s just tough.