Josef Newgarden emerged victorious in the prestigious Indianapolis 500, solidifying his status as one of the top drivers in the world of motorsports. This triumph marked a significant milestone in Newgarden's career, as he became only the second American driver to win the iconic race since Ryan Hunter-Reay achieved this feat in 2014.
Newgarden's victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a testament to his exceptional driving skills and strategic prowess. Throughout the grueling 200-lap race, he exhibited remarkable composure and precision, navigating through traffic with finesse and making crucial overtakes when needed. His ability to maintain consistent lap times and manage tire wear played a pivotal role in securing his place at the front of the pack.
Newgarden became the first driver to win consecutive Indy 500s in 22 years since Helio Castroneves, who also did it for Team Penske in 2001-02.
“I knew we could win this race again,” Newgarden said. “It was just a matter of getting it right. There’s no better way to win a race than that. I got to give it up to Pato as well. He’s an incredibly clean driver. It takes two people to make that work.
A year ago, Newgarden was the hard-luck driver who had accomplished so much yet never won “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” On Sunday, he was the superstar winning the race in the shadow of a cheating scandal that kept his race strategist from even being inside the speedway for the rain-delayed race.
Newgarden put the cheating scandal behind him to become the first back-to-back winner of the Indy 500 since Helio Castroneves 22 years ago and give Roger Penske a record-extending 20th win in the biggest race in the world.
Penske had been watching the race high above the speedway and pumped his arm in celebration as Newgarden crossed the finish line. He then hugged his wife. It took less than an hour for the placard that designates Penske's parking spot inside the speedway to be changed from "19" to "20."
O'Ward, who finished .3417 seconds behind Newgarden, slumped his head over his steering wheel in disappointment. He was trying to become the first Mexican driver in 108 runnings to win the Indy 500.
O'Ward refused to back down last year and wound up crashing as he went for the victory.
Before taking off for Charlotte to join the Cup race, which has already begun, Larson says he wants to return to Indy.
Pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin leads the most laps (66) and finishes 6th. Christian Rasmussen is the highest finishing rookie (12th).
Biggest movers: Conor Daly gains 19 positions from the start (from 29th to 10th), Dixon gains 18 (from 21st to 3rd), as does Graham Rahal (from 33rd to 15th). Will Power loses 22 spots (2nd to 24th).
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