Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg, presented by RP Funding winner Josef Newgarden, says he felt comfortable leading 92 of the 100 laps in the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season-opening event.
During the post-race press conference, Newgarden said it was a great start to the season for the entire Penske group, who finished the race 1st, 3rd, and fourth.
Newgarden said that it is more than driving the car well every day. It is about problem-solving and executing with the team, and it helps when things work out like they did today.
Today, the Tennessee native victory was the 30th of his career, breaking a tie with Penske legend Rick Mears. Newgarden said he enjoys racing and is happy to be at the track. Speaking following the race he said that the team controlled the race today.
In terms of Chevrolet, Newgarden said that they really leaned on their success at the Indianapolis 500 but that they need strong competition between manufacturers and he feels that there was more parity between Chevrolet and Honda in St Pete this weekend but this race is just one data point and we will see how the season goes.
Chevrolet delivered in spades after Team Penske gave them a list of items to go through over the winter which they did a great job on.