Wide Receivers Preview Part Two
Talking the business of sports
Iowa Speedway seems to be Josef Newgarden's personal playground. The Team Penske driver and two-time IndyCar Series champion was dominant on Saturday, winning the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 going away from Pato O'Ward and Will Power, hanging on at the end for win No. 4 at Iowa.
"I was surprised how hard these guys were pushing the restarts," Newgarden said at the finish. "I was disappointed after qualifying, but I knew we had a car today that could win this race."
Newgarden -- who has completed every lap in the past four races around the .825-mile, D-shaped oval in Newton, Iowa -- navigated lapped traffic with 25 to go to make things interesting, as it allowed O'Ward to claw into Newgarden's lead. But O'Ward then ran into the same lapped traffic issues and saw all those gains slip away as Newgarden drove away, somehow making his well-used Firestones find just a little more grip than O'Ward to hang on at the finish.
"I knew they were playing games on the restarts, but then I found a way to do things and not lose ground," O'Ward said. "It's all about having a good race car here."
The surprise was Jimmie Johnson, who spun early in the race and somehow recovered to finish 11th. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver found something that worked for him high up the track and made that line work for him time and again to work his way up to fifth during the race before fading at the finish.
Friday's practice session, the only one for the weekend, showed that there were two distinct racing lines at the track -- one in the low-middle and another a bit high-middle -- but there were times when drivers made three-wide work for some hold-your-breath-and-don't-blink moments.
Tire management and clean air were key to getting into a rhythm and carrying momentum through each lap, and it was Newgarden who had it working. The two races in 2020 combined for only three cautions for a total of 50 laps (Race 1 - one caution, 26 laps; Race 2 - two cautions, 25 laps), but Race 1 of 2022 was up to four by the halfway point, stretching and changing strategies for the teams.
Ericsson's eighth-place finish keeps him atop the championship table, but Newgarden is now only 15 points behind.
More @IowaSpeedway dominance for @JosefNewgarden and @Team_Penske. https://t.co/9tin4UO3LZ
Short track. Full of action. Ride onboard for lap 1 of the #HyVeeDeals250 at @iowaspeedway.#INDYCAR // @INDYCARatIowa pic.twitter.com/fXryn40YDM
An adventurous day for @JimmieJohnson. From a spin early, to leading laps, JJ talks about his first go at @iowaspeedway.#INDYCAR // @INDYCARatIowa // @CGRTeams pic.twitter.com/y4dkWd31xt
Congratulations @josefnewgarden on your fourth @IndyCar win at Iowa! #HyVeeDeals250 #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/7ffnyF616g
3rd at the finish. 3rd in points. With a strong P3 effort at @iowaspeedway, @12WillPower is steadily in the title hunt.#INDYCAR // @INDYCARatIowa // @Team_Penske pic.twitter.com/MajYxtaNSw
A valiant effort from driver No. 5. Hear from @PatricioOWard after his runner-up finish at @iowaspeedway.#INDYCAR // @INDYCARatIowa // @ArrowMcLarenSP pic.twitter.com/cM6XRKP6cT
"I always got faith every weekend I show up with @Team_Penske." A confident @josefnewgarden talks after his second consecutive win at @iowaspeedway.#INDYCAR // @iowaspeedway pic.twitter.com/1IhJy9MnyH
"I always got faith every weekend I show up with @Team_Penske." A confident @josefnewgarden talks after his second consecutive win at @iowaspeedway.#INDYCAR // @iowaspeedway pic.twitter.com/1IhJy9MnyH
RETWEET to congratulate @josefnewgarden! Win No. 4 of the season. Win No. 4 at @iowaspeedway! pic.twitter.com/puGPNqAjdu
Last man standing after a battle in the bullring.@josefnewgarden wins the https://t.co/BbRkjds482 250.#INDYCAR // @Team_Penske pic.twitter.com/uor4I9Pswd
RETWEET to congratulate @josefnewgarden! The @Team_Penske driver WINS at @iowaspeedway for the fourth time! 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 #INDYCAR // @INDYCARatIowa pic.twitter.com/Y4C3ccKRu7
It's 10 laps to go and Newgarden is hanging on, followed by O'Ward. Power is a distant third followed by Palou, VeeKay, Dixon, Grosjean, Johnson, Rahal and Ericsson for the top 10.
Pato O'Ward is CLOSING in on Josef Newgarden with less than 25 laps to go! #INDYCAR 📺 : @NBC and @PeacockTV pic.twitter.com/AtXNWGPgvH
Palou's car is swerving a bit. He must have used up every bit of tire that he has.
O'Ward trying to use lapped traffic to put a pass on Power as they come up on Kyle Kirkwood. Patience rewards O'Ward as he makes the pass work.
And Newgarden just keeps increasing his lead with 31 laps to go.
Newgarden is using the lapped traffic to open up a lead on teammate Power. Still behind them are O'Ward, Palou, VeeKay and Johnson in the top six.
At Lap 200 of 250, the leaders can make it on fuel but will be hanging on for dear life on well-worn tires. Could there be a stop coming for them? Likely only under a caution.
Palou has backed off a bit and at Lap 195 the gap to the front two cars is now 1.2-seconds. Newgarden and Power are still going at each other.
O'Ward is racing by himself a bit in fourth, with Johnson about 3-seconds adrift.
The leaders are now coming on the lapped cars.
Move @JimmieJohnson inside the top five! What a day for the @CGRTeams driver and seven-time @NASCAR champ. #INDYCAR 📺 : @nbc and @peacockTV pic.twitter.com/f9w7SQMlbz
Behind the leaders and Jimmie Johnson is up to fifth after dueling with Rinus VeeKay. Something tells me that discussion is not over between the two.
Was this the money stop for @josefnewgarden? His @Team_Penske crew maintains the lead on what could be the final stop of the race. WATCH LIVE: @NBC and @PeacockTV#INDYCAR // @INDYCARatIowa pic.twitter.com/sOd2UtMdmk
Caution: @edcarpenter20 WATCH LIVE: @NBC and @PeacockTV#INDYCAR // #HyVeeDeals250 pic.twitter.com/GvvhnKlYdI
Newgarden and Power are teammates, but they aren't racing each other like teammates. Power is challenging Newgarden and Newgarden is having none of it. All this is helping Palou close up the gap to the two of them.
Green at Lap 176 and Newgarden and Power make it a Team Penske 1-2 at the front, but the third Penske car of Scott McLaughlin is back in the pits after losing a wheel nut on his right-rear tire. That will likely push him out of contention.
Palou makes a move high stick on O'Ward and is into third.
And the leaders do pit. Newgarden takes back the wing he had taken out the previous stop.
The top 10: Newgarden, Power, O'Ward, McLaughlin, Palou, Johnson, VeeKay, Dixon, Christian Lundgaard and Ericsson.
Was this the money stop for @josefnewgarden? His @Team_Penske crew maintains the leaf on what could be the final stop of the race. WATCH LIVE: @NBC and @PeacockTV#INDYCAR // @INDYCARatIowa pic.twitter.com/1iV3uTOsCU
Caution is out for Ed Carpenter. But have the gone far enough for the leaders to come in for fresh rubber and make it last the rest of the race?
Caution’s out for Ed Carpenter. 📺: @nbc and @peacockTV
INDYCAR Data Insights Powered by NTT has predicted that @jimmiejohnson will make his third pit stop on lap 185 of the #HyVeeDeals250. WATCH LIVE: @NBC & @PeacockTV#INDYCAR // @INDYCARatIowa pic.twitter.com/1fLSBHXV4j
WHOA.@Ericsson_Marcus and @josefnewgarden with a close call battling for the lead at @iowaspeedway! #INDYCAR 📺 : @nbc and @peacockTV pic.twitter.com/7EuE7PvxsO
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