Get to know IndyCar's Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 1 Toyota for Team Penske. USA TODAY Sports
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Was Sunday just the beginning? Last year, Josef Newgarden kicked off his assault on the rest of the Verizon IndyCar Series and eventual romp to the championship with a runner-up finish at Road America. Are we about what the same movie play out once again?
Following five straight disappointing finishes, Newgarden rebounded Sunday with a coast-to-coast victory at Road America. The pole-sitter led all but two laps en route to his series-best third victory of the season.
Newgarden's drive was both methodical and dominant, never wavering or yielding to the superstar veterans chasing close behind him. He edged runner-up Ryan Hunter-Reay by nearly two seconds and last year's winner Scott Dixon by three. The victory was not only satisfying for Newgarden, who hadn't had a top-five finish since April's Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, but also helped avenge Penske's narrow defeat at the hands of Dixon last season.
"I wanted to win here since last year," Newgarden said in victory lane. "I felt like we had the car to win, but it just didn't happen. But this car has been a rocket all weekend. It was not easy. I mean Ryan was very quick, and I knew Dixon was right behind him, so we were working for it the entire race.
"I think we nailed the strategy. (Team Penske President) Tim (Cindric) was coaching me through the entire thing. I kind of knew what I had to do, but it was a lot of work, I promise you. Ryan was really pushing me. It's good to get a win."
See you in the winner’s circle: With the win, Newgarden is not only closing in on Dixon in the 2018 championship but on his incredible early career resume. Dixon racked up 11 wins and 29 podiums in his first seven seasons in IndyCar. Newgarden now has 10 victories and 22 podiums.
Hunter-Reay and Dixon continue on their own mid-season hots streaks. For Hunter-Reay, his runner-up finish Sunday was his fifth straight top-five finish and third podium in that same stretch. Meanwhile, Dixon racked up his sixth straight top-five finish and fifth podium in that period.
"I was hoping to make it more interesting, both for the fans here at Road America and on TV," Hunter-Reay said. "I thought I had the pace for him early on, especially in the first two stints. But then those last two stints when he put on those used reds and I put on the blacks, he was just hooked up. I was pushing 110%, that's for sure, but that's just all we had."
You must remember this: This section might need to be renamed: “What did Rossi do this week?” On more than one occasion this year, the young Andretti Autosport driver has stolen the show without winning the race. Such may have been the case again Sunday, as he got into it with a pair of contenders. Early in the race, he banged wheels with familiar foe Robert Wickens (remember the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg), as he held off the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver for a spot in the top-five.
Later on, Rossi caused former Andretti teammate Takuma Sato to wave his fist in anger as Rossi forced him into the grass while making a pass on the inside of Turn 6.
Both incidents were reviewed by race stewards, and no action was taken.
Drive another day: Will Power and Sebastien Bourdais, a pair of front-running veterans with championship aspirations, each had their races derailed by forces outside of their control. For Power, an engine issue caused him to head back to the garage after just two laps. His team got him back out on track but only momentarily before he pulled off track for the last time.
Power told IndyCar Radio’s Dave Furst he’s not entirely sure what happened Sunday but knows he’s endured a hefty dose of rough luck this year.
“Unbelievable amount of DNFs I’ve had,” said Power, who has failed to finish races at Phoenix, Alabama and Texas. “In my career, I’ve never had that many in a short span of time. But that’s racing. As quickly as luck can swing your way it can swing back the other way. “
Meanwhile, Bourdais suffered an gear control unit failure and was forced to pit. His team restarted the car and got the unit working again, but Bourdais had lost his spot among the leaders and was never able to recover, finishing 13th.
Quote of the weekend: “We reached an agreement with IndyCar to have another three years of IndyCar at Road America.” – George Bruggentheis
The Road America president announced during pre-race ceremonies for the Kohler Grand Prix what should be considered great news for IndyCar and its fans. Since its return in 2016, the race at the pristine Wisconsin venue has become one of the premier events on the Verizon IndyCar Series calendar. Fans come in droves to watch Indy cars race at what many drivers in the paddock consider the best road course in North America.
Considering the recent loss of the poorly attended race at Phoenix, a three-year extension with one of its most successful event is welcome good news for IndyCar.
INDYCAR 2019: Six tracks that could replace Phoenix on the schedule
Championship update: Scott Dixon's third-place finish gives him 393 points and a 45-point lead over Andretti teammates Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi, who suffered a late mechanical issue and finished 16th.
"It was OK, just a little disappointed with where we started," Dixon said of his race. "You always just kind of wish if we had maybe started up in the first four positions, I think we would have had a real good shot at winning this race today. But it was fun to make another podium."
Newgarden's win vaults him to fourth with 343 points, while Power's DNF relegates him to fifth with 328 points.
KOHLER GRAND PRIX
Sunday's results (with starting position in parentheses):
1. (1) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 55, Running
2. (3) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 55, Running
3. (8) Scott Dixon, Honda, 55, Running
4. (7) Takuma Sato, Honda, 55, Running
5. (5) Robert Wickens, Honda, 55, Running
6. (9) Graham Rahal, Honda, 55, Running
7. (14) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 55, Running
8. (10) Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 55, Running
9. (12) Ed Jones, Honda, 55, Running
10. (16) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 55, Running
11. (15) Marco Andretti, Honda, 55, Running
12. (13) Jordan King, Chevrolet, 55, Running
13. (6) Sebastien Bourdais, Honda, 55, Running
14. (18) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 55, Running
15. (20) Matheus Leist, Chevrolet, 55, Running
16. (4) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 55, Running
17. (22) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 55, Running
18. (19) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 55, Running
19. (23) Gabby Chaves, Chevrolet, 54, Running
20. (21) Alfonso Celis Jr, Chevrolet, 54, Running
21. (17) Zachary Claman De Melo, Honda, 54, Running
22. (11) Zach Veach, Honda, 54, Running
23. (2) Will Power, Chevrolet, 2, Mechanical
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Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 132.101 mph.
Time of Race: 1:40:16.4165.
Margin of victory: 3.3759 seconds.
Cautions: None.
Lead changes: 2 among, 2 drivers.
Lap Leaders: Newgarden 1-13; Dixon 14-15; Newgarden 16-55.
Point standings: 1. Dixon 393; 2. Hunter-Reay 348; 3. Rossi 348; 4. Newgarden 343; 5. Power 328; 6. Rahal 278; 7. Wickens 274; 8. Pagenaud 255; 9. Bourdais 235; 10. Andretti 232.