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Team Penske Verizon IndyCar Series Race Report

Track:                 Gateway Motorsports Park
Race:                   Gateway 500
Date:                   August 25, 2018

No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet – Josef Newgarden

Start: 3rd
Finish: 7th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 248/248
Laps Led: 0
Points Position: 4th (-78 pts)

Notes:

• It was a tough day for Josef Newgarden and the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet as they walked away with a hard-fought seventh-place finish at Gateway Motorsports Park, which brought him to fourth in overall 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series championship point standings.
• The race started off fairly smooth for Newgarden and team as by lap 42 he radioed to the team that he was feeling really good about the handling of the car.
• On lap 61, Newgarden brought the No. 1 Chevy to the pits for the first of a few front wing adjustments.
• With just 10 laps remaining in the race, Tim Cindric called the Tennessee-born driver to the pits for a fuel only pit stop in hopes of gaining track position.
• As the checkered flag fell, the No. 1 Verizon Chevrolet crossed the start/finish line in seventh place unable to advance following their late-race pit stop.
• Unfortunately, Newgarden fell from third to fourth in 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series championship point standings.
• The team looks forward to the final two races of the season – both road courses – and hopes to return to victory lane at the series’ next stop at Portland.

Quote:  "Tough night.  We kept in it, we tried to make the most of it. We just lost too many positions there at the end.  The whole race long we just didn't get the timing right. We got caught out in a couple of different times. Will got stuck up in the gray and we lost some speed when we caught him and lost a couple of spots there.  We tried to make a fuel number there at the end, and it ended up biting us.  We worked hard. We had great pit stops; the guys did a great job.  We just couldn't get the timing right tonight and had to settle for the Verizon Chevy finishing seventh. But we have a car in one piece so we go on to Portland and try and redeem ourselves."

No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet – Will Power

Start: 4th
Finish: 1st
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 248/248
Laps Led: 93
Points Position: 3rd (-68 pts)

Notes:

• It was one memorable race for Will Power and the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet crew as they claimed a victory at Gateway Motorsports Park – the 35th career win for the Australian-born driver.
• It was quite clear that Power was determined to win when by lap 8, he already climbed to the second position.
• By lap 146, Power took the lead from Alexander Rossi – the first time he led the field on the night.
• After falling a bit, he once again regained the lead over Scott Dixon by lap 150 and remained there much of the race.
• With a  remarkable call by team owner Roger Penske to pit the car for fuel only with just 15 laps remaining, Power was able to maintain the lead until the race was complete.
• This marked the first win Will Power had received with Roger Penske serving as his race strategist.
• With the win at Gateway, Power takes over the third position in 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series championship point standings over teammate Josef Newgarden – just 68 points behind points leader Scott Dixon.
• Power looks to continue that momentum as the series heads to Portland next weekend. 

Quote: “I made the pass (on Scott Dixon) in Turn 1, so I was very determined in this race. We needed the win to get back into the championship, so really, really happy. This track has heaves of grip, it was really fun - really, really fun. The (aero) package is good, you can pass and I enjoyed it a lot. (About the crowds) Man, last year when it (the crowd) turned out, we were so stoked to see how the grandstand full and again this year. The promoters do such a good job at this race, we are so happy to be coming here. (About the physicality of his win) I just didn’t drink, so I am really dehydrated, I was so focused on the race – I just went hard.”  

No. 22 Menards Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet – Simon Pagenaud

Start: 6th
Finish: 4th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 248/248
Laps Led: 0
Points Position: 6th (-168 pts)

Notes:

• Simon Pagenaud and the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet team began the 248-lap Verizon IndyCar Series event at Gateway Motorsports Park from the sixth position after qualifying was canceled due to rain shows, starting the field by the INDYCAR rulebook using the driver point standings.
• The Frenchman was able to show the strength of his Chevrolet during the second half of a stint, where he was routinely the fastest car on the track. Pagenaud would eventually climb as high a third in the running order.
• After fighting an understeer condition, Pagenaud’s race strategist, Kyle Moyer, made a front-wing adjustment on the second pit stop of the day at lap 118, after which the Menards machine began to show even more speed.
• While racing with his teammate and eventual race winner, Will Power, Pagenaud bobbled in Turn 1 and lost several positions on the rhythm racetrack. He would drop down to the last car in the running order, but and his pit crew continued to battle all night for a top finish.
• Fuel mileage came into the equation after a caution flag at lap 173 that made many crews up and down pit road think about making it from this point on one pit stop. After the race resumed it became evident to most teams that they could not make it that far on fuel and began making their final pit stops as the race neared the end.
• Pagenaud looked to be in position to grab a podium finish, but the No. 27 of Alexander Rossi was one car that was able to make it to the end on fuel. This strategy dropped Pagenaud to fourth on the night, but a strong day still for the No. 22 team.

Quote:  “Hats off to the Menards Chevy crew for phenomenal pit stops all day. Ben (Bretzman), my engineer, last night just went through everything, seven years back. We figured out what I needed from the car. I think I had the best car tonight. Just made a mistake when Will (Power) went by me and I went high in Turn 1 and lost probably six positions. If it wasn’t for that, I think we would have been on the top spot. It was a good race, I really had a lot of fun. Great racing and the strategy at the end made it a lot of fun for everybody.”