Two-time collection champion Newgarden additionally admitted that the weekend as an entire was a wrestle, as Team Penske looked for tempo within the second spherical of the yr across the Indy’s street monitor.
This yr’s Indy 500 winner Newgarden misplaced a lap when he struck Marcus Armstrong’s stranded Chip Ganassi Racing automobile at Flip 7 on the opening tour, having began 25th on the grid after qualifying down in 19th and taking a grid penalty for an engine change.
His automobile grew to become wedged on prime of Armstrong’s nostril and stalled, which price him a lap, and he wanted a brand new entrance wing.
“Only a very unlucky begin to this race, however this weekend was fairly a problem from the beginning,” stated Newgarden. “We got here with a brand new package deal as a result of we have now struggled recently on the Indy Highway Course, and we needed to do every part we might to complete the season sturdy.
“It simply appeared to be one factor after one other for the Hitachi Chevy workforce, from the 10-minute observe penalty for me being late to weigh-in, to the engine change final evening to the primary lap incident.
“Clearly not the end we wanted for the championship however this workforce is aware of methods to battle. We’re going to attempt to make everybody earn it during the last three races.”
Josef Newgarden, Workforce Penske Chevrolet
Photograph by: IndyCar Sequence
His 25th-place end means he dropped to 105 factors behind collection dominator Alex Palou, who completed seventh after colliding with Armstrong in that opening lap conflict, and fell behind race winner Scott Dixon to 3rd within the championship.
Will Power was the one Penske driver to complete within the prime six, charging up from 16th on the grid to cross Palou within the closing levels to complete sixth.
“It was an excellent comeback for the Verizon 5G Chevy workforce,” he stated. “Simply wanted monitor place. I really feel like we have been the quickest automobile on the market. It was monitor place, merely.
“Each time we obtained behind somebody, we have been sooner than them, each time we’d go by and left them.
“Simply must work at qualifying right here. It’s very onerous to get it proper.”
Scott McLaughlin, Workforce Penske Chevrolet
Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
Scott McLaughlin completed two spots behind him however remained pissed off at his kind on this monitor: “Only a disappointing day at present on the Indy street course. I believed we had a very good begin. The Gallagher Chevy was feeling nice over the opening laps, however on the finish, we simply haven’t any battle right here proper now and we have now to determine that out.
“Our platform must be higher. We’re getting nearer however we’re undoubtedly not shut sufficient. It’s irritating however we nonetheless completed eighth at present, our eighth top-10 in a row. A superb factors day and we’ll press on to St. Louis.”