How Newgarden rose to be a thorn to Ericsson's double Indy 500 bid
Despite the thrilling and, at times, terrifying action at this year’s Indy 500, the race boiled down to a one-lap shootout which saw Josef Newgarden dethrone last year’s winner Marcus Ericsson. In a race tinged with controversy, here’s how it played out and left many feeling what could have been
For the majority of the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500, the race lived up to its grand billing as 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing'. Run at a searingly fast pace, and with just a couple of minor shunts to disrupt its flow, it became bogged down by a sequence of late-race, multi-car accidents and a trio of red flags. Its denouement was the Indy 2.5, a final-lap shootout straight out of the pits for a NASCAR-style green-white-chequered finish, which Josef Newgarden mastered to pass last year's winner Marcus Ericsson to claim his maiden 500 win, and team owner Roger Penske's record-extending 19th.
Newgarden started the day in 17th on the grid, admitting that his team had "fallen short" and "not done a good enough job" in qualifying. "Indy is not easy," he mused. "I don't care how many Indy 500s you have, what team you are, there are no guarantees when you show up here. For whatever reason this cruel mistress, she's just tricking us."
Newgarden made solid progress early on, nudging his way into the top 10 as early as one-quarter distance. Drivers bemoaned the latest aero package on the Dallara DW12s, which had extra downforce that appeared to be doing the opposite of what was intended in terms of improving overtaking opportunities. But Newgarden ignored that and got passes done when he had to and benefited from some pitstop perfection by his well-drilled crew.
In the second half of the race, the 32-year-old involved himself in the conversation over the leading positions. Remember, at this point, the race was cracking along at a fair old rate - on course to be one of the least-interrupted editions in its long history. The first yellow was for the elaborately named rookie Sting Ray Robb, who got into the marbles in a turf war with Graham Rahal at Turn 1 on lap 92 and came off second best. "I need to pay more attention to the stereotypes of this series," he complained, refusing to call Rahal by his name. "It was just way too aggressive of a move."
The second caution, on the stroke of the three-quarter race distance, was for Romain Grosjean. He'd earlier been speared in the pits by Andretti Autosport team-mate Colton Herta in an intra-team muddle, and the lure of the Turn 2 barrier pulled him into its grasp just like it did 12 months ago.
By this point, Chip Ganassi Racing's Ericsson and Penske's Newgarden looked to be the strongest horses in the field, but there were still some other pre-race favourites that they'd have to conquer. But polesitter Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay had delayed themselves in the pits when VeeKay half spun and clattered Palou into the wall, breaking his front wing.
"I was next to Alex when I got wheelspin," rued VeeKay. "I lost the car and hit him. I think I just used too many revs, you don't wanna hit anyone so it's just unfortunate."
It was a fast but not so furious start to the Indy 500, with a record pace set before the late-race chaos
Photo by: Brett Farmer / Motorsport Images
The other front-row starter, Arrow McLaren's Felix Rosenqvist, was right in the hunt towards the end. His team-mate Pato O'Ward was also a contender, albeit hamstrung on strategy by a fuel filler that refused to give him a full tank.
But this wasn't to be McLaren's day, in spite of its cool triple crown throwback liveries. Rosenqvist was the first to depart, admitting that he misjudged the wake off Newgarden's car as he was passed by the Penske driver at Turn 1 with 17 laps to go.
Rosenqvist's 1984 Monaco GP colour scheme had a very un-Alain Prost-like trip into the wall on corner exit. What's worse, as he tried to scrub off speed to a place of safety, something broke as hit the apron entering Turn 2, and he spun back onto the track with the pack approaching at over 200mph.
Cars took avoiding action in all directions, but Kyle Kirkwood clipped Rosenqvist with his left-rear wheel, which was catapulted over the catch fencing and towards a grandstand. The crowd held its breath – a portion were compelled to collectively duck – as the spinning wheel flew over their heads… and hit a building before landing on a fortunately unoccupied Chevy parked between the stands. Tragedy averted, but that was a close one.
"I got on to the apron to give him [Ericsson] room and I got squeezed. There were seven laps to go and I was going for it. I was way too nice. I'll make sure that he comes with me next time. Yeah, I won't forget that one" Pato O'Ward
Kirkwood went on a wild ride, slamming into the Turn 2 wall and flipping over. He slid upside down for what must have seemed like an eternity. "Being up in the fence is never a good thing in an IndyCar," he deadpanned. "The scary part was seeing the sparks and just being stuck at that point."
There were just 15 laps to go when that happened, and the red flag was flown for the first time – but not the last…
It's at this point that the race turned sour. Maybe it was the long wait on the pitlane for the restart, but drivers appeared to get suddenly agitated and overamped their moves from this point, and it all got very messy. The signs were there when O'Ward, whose pit strategy was saved by the yellow for Grosjean, brought the field to green impossibly slowly through Turn 4 and then jumped ahead – only to be greeted by an extension of the caution and a warning not to do it again.