Josef Newgarden becomes million dollar man with Road America win
Editor's note: Full race results and updated driver standings are at bottom of this file.
Josef Newgarden and the charity of his choice are about to split one million dollars.
By winning Sunday’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America, Newgarden became the first driver to win IndyCar’s PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge. The payout is big: a million-dollar prize splint between the first driver to win on an oval, street course, and road course this season, as well as charitable organizations.
Newgarden, whose oval win came at Texas and street course victory came at Long Beach, will split the $500,000 charity portion between SeriousFun Children’s Network and Wags and Walks Nashville.
Newgarden drove the race worried only about winning. The PeopleReady bonus was practically an afterthought.
"I do forget about it at points," he said in the post-race press conference. "Like, I didn't think about it coming into this weekend. I totally forgot that that was a thing. There's a point you get reminded about it. You're like, 'Oh, yeah, that's right.'
"But for me, it's not something you really dwell on because it doesn't matter ultimately at the end of the day. I'm not going to try to win this race because this is on the line. You never approach any race that way.
"I want to win the race because I want to win the race. It's a great little bonus. It's not a little bonus, that's a big bonus. It's just one of those things that kind of comes with it.
"It's not motivating for me that I have to do something extra because of this. I'm putting my best effort forward every weekend. I know if we can just focus on our job, get the job done, at times I get reminded, This is also going to come with it. That's very, very cool obviously."
Race winner Josef Newgarden celebrates with runner-up Marcus Ericsson following Sunday's race at Road America. Photo: IndyCar/James Black.
With IndyCar having the most versatile schedule in motorsports, it takes a well-rounded driver to win on all three forms of racetracks.
“That’s what makes Indy Car so tough,” Newgarden said. “It’s impossible to predict what’s going to happen. I thought we had (the bonus) all locked up in Detroit (last week).
"It was going to be easy from the front row and it was anything but easy. It went completely different than we predicted. That’s just what makes this series so difficult, and it makes it fun to be in. You’ve got to be on your toes at all times. You can go in with a plan, but you’re probably going to have to change your plan 90 percent of the time.”
Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson finished second and regains the lead in the overall point standings with a 27-point lead over previous points leader Will Power. Race polesitter Alexander Rossi finished third, his second consecutive podium (finished runner-up at Belle Isle last week).
Romain Grosjean finished fourth, while Colton Herta finished fifth. Felix Rosenqvist, Scott McLaughlin, Graham Rahal, Scott Dixon, and Christian Lundgaard finished sixth through tenth.
While Ericsson and Dixon had good days for Chip Ganassi Racing, the same can't be said for defending NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou and Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson made contact with A.J. Foyt Racing driver Tatiana Calderon in Turn 3 on the opening lap, bringing out the caution.
Johnson could never recover and finished 24th, one lap down, which makes the 15th time the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion has finished 20th or worse in his 20 IndyCar starts to date.
And then there was Palou, who made contact on Lap 9 with Ericsson, forcing Palou's car to be towed to the garage and, even though he eventually returned, still finished last in the 27-driver field.
Needless to say, Palou was not happy with his teammate.
“I just think he was trying to win the race on the third lap and yep, the car broke and that’s it, game over,” Palou said of Ericsson. “I was surprised my teammate hit me, not that the car broke. The car is a single-seater, so when you have a hard hit like that, it just broke. It was just bad luck. But we can play this game as well, so we’ll see.”
Ericsson felt he was in the right.
“From inside the car, the door was open there,” Ericsson said. “I went for the move. Alongside him at the apex, made the corner. From my side, he turns into me from the outside lane. You hate to see your teammate retire from a contact with you. That's the last thing you want to do.
“I don't see I did anything wrong. It was a fully race move. Might have been early in the race, but this race is a track-position race. If you get an opportunity, you need to go for it. As I said, there was nothing wrong with that move. That was clear on the TV.”
Also of note in Sunday's race: Simona De Silvestro and Tatiana Calderon marked the first time two female drivers have competed in an IndyCar race since the 2015 Indianapolis 500.
Making her first start since last year's Indy 500, De Silvestro finished 21st for Paretta Autosport, while Calderon finished 25th.
The NTT IndyCar Series now takes a three-week break before returning to action at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 3.
