IndyCar | Newgarden does an encore at the Indy 500 by mocking O’Ward

Despite a four-hour rain delay, the clouds cleared and an intense battle ended as the sun set on more than 300,000 fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Team Penske driver, who started third, was forced to make another thrilling last-lap overtaking on the outside of Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) in Turn 3, winning by 0″3417. Thus he became the first driver to do an encore since Helio Castroneves achieved it with Team Penske in 2001 and 2002.

O’Ward, who resisted several breakaway attempts before making a nice move into Turn 1 on the final lap, had to settle for second place, sitting down and collapsing with his helmet in his hands in the pit lane.

Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing), winner of the 2008 Indy 500, managed to climb from twentieth position to third place.

Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi placed fourth, ahead of two-time reigning IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou in fifth.

The 200-lap race saw a record 18 different leaders, with pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin leading 66 before finishing sixth. The 49 lead changes were the fourth most in Indy 500 history. There were eight neutralizations for a total of 46 laps.

The departure

Rookie Tom Blomqvist triggered a multiple crash on the first lap involving 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson and Pietro Fittipaldi.

After starting 25th in the Honda-Meyer Shank Racing #66, the Briton entered Turn 1 but crossed the white line and hit the curb, spinning out and colliding with Ericsson’s Andretti Global #28, which started 32nd. ° with a spare car.

Fittipaldi, who was kept for observation, examined and discharged from the internal medical centre, tried to avoid the accident but had wheel-to-wheel contact with Callum Ilott, who was forced to start from the back after having to resolve a problem mechanic at his #6 Chevrolet Arrow McLaren during warm-up laps.

Several cars in the middle and rear of the field took advantage of the neutralization to refuel on lap four, including Conor Daly (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing), Sting Ray Robb (AJ Foyt Racing) and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing duo composed of Christian Lundgaard and Graham Rahal.

When the #51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda driven by Katherine Legge went up in smoke on lap 23, ending her day prematurely, the pit stops began.

Once McLaughlin stopped on lap 25, with teammates Will Power and Newgarden following, the lead passed to Robb, who lost it on a restart to Daly.

Only on lap 28 did another neutralization arrive, this time due to the accident of the Chip Ganassi Racing rookie, Linus Lundqivst, at Turn 1, after an attempt to overtake inside three cars, including his teammate. team Kyffin Simpson.

The race continued at a fast pace until the #60 Meyer Shank Racing car in the hands of Felix Rosenqvist stopped and triggered another neutralization on lap 56, joining Legge and rookie Marcus Armstrong (Chip Ganassi Racing) as the third Honda to withdraw prematurely due to problems.

Despite a promising comeback from 13th to second, Colton Herta’s sixth Indy 500 came to an abrupt end after an accident in Turn 1 on Lap 88.

Although it was similar to Blomqvist’s, Herta, who was behind leader McLaughlin, never touched the inside curb before losing his #26 Honda-Andretti Global. Despite being pushed to the pits, Herta returned shortly after the halfway point of the race with several laps behind.

Colton Herta, Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda

Photo by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images

The turning point

Two more yellow flags on laps 107 and 114 led to the early retirement of 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) and Marco Andretti (Andretti Herta), respectively.

McLaughlin and Newgarden continued to lead the race, along with Rossi. However, a series of pit stops taught Indy 500 rookie and 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson a harsh lesson. On lap 131 he was caught speeding in the pit lane, causing his #17 Chevrolet Arrow McLaren-Rick Hendrick to lose a lap.

The battle for the lead heated up when Dixon, who avoided a penalty after initial contact that led to Hunter-Reay’s retirement, took the lead on lap 140 thanks to a sequence of pit strategy.

Power’s day ended seven laps later with a hard crash in Turn 2. His #12 Team Penske Chevrolet was on the outside of Ed Carpenter Racing rookie Christian Rasmussen when the rear end broke and he crashed into the wall.

With the neutralization, Larson was able to get back into the lead lap.

The restart took place on lap 155, with Dixon divided by O’Ward and Rossi, who took the lead from third position entering Turn 1. Rossi and O’Ward exchanged the lead in the following laps, while Dixon he continued to hold third place ahead of Newgarden and Palou.

Despite slipping to the bottom of the field after experiencing clutch problems, McLaughlin moved up to sixth on lap 168.

Rossi exited the pits on lap 170, momentarily handing the lead to O’Ward before Dixon passed him for first place. Dixon and O’Ward pitted on lap 173.

Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, pit stop

Photo by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images

The grand finale

Newgarden caught up with Dixon, who took the lead as they both moved ahead of Rossi and O’Ward. Palou was lurking in fifth place with 24 laps to go.

Having still not pitted with 20 laps to go, Larson briefly took the lead before pitting and handing the lead to Simpson, who had not yet stopped. The latter made his pit stop with 14 laps to go, bringing the battle for victory between Rossi and Newgarden to the fore.

Dixon showed signs of trouble when O’Ward passed him in the battle for third place with 13 laps to go going into Turn 1, behind Newgarden and Rossi. Newgarden maintained the lead with 10 laps to go, with Rossi, O’Ward, Dixon and Kirkwood in the Top 5.

O’Ward managed to pass Rossi at Turn 1 to take second position with seven laps to go, before catching and overtaking Newgarden with five laps remaining.

With four laps to go, Newgarden regained the lead, overtaking O’Ward. Meanwhile, Palou moved up to fifth after passing Kirkwood, who dropped to seventh after also being passed by McLaughlin.

O’Ward then went around the outside of Newgarden coming out of Turn 4 and took the lead into Turn 1, but was met with a response from his rival coming out of Turn 2, when the two went wheel to wheel.

Newgarden finally raised his hand in victory through the aeroscreen as he headed for the checkered flag.

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet

Photo by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images