Team Penske Verizon IndyCar Series Race Report

 

Track:                  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Race:                   Honda Indy 200

Date:                   July 29, 2018

 

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

Start: 4th

Finish: 4th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 90/90

Laps Led: 0

Points Position: 3rd (-60 pts)

 

Notes:

• Josef Newgarden and the No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet ran a strong race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course which ultimately resulted in a fourth place finish.
• Newgarden and the No. 1 Hitachi Chevy quickly went to work on the field passing into third place before even completing one lap.
• During the caution-less race, he pitted on lap 23 for worn primary tires and fuel allowing him to slowly gain track position.
• By lap 40 the Tennessee-born driver advanced to the second position – a race high.
• He pitted again on lap 43 for worn primary tires and fuel during a 6.12 second stop.
• As the laps wore on Newgarden again found himself in the third position on lap 60 attempting to make his way toward the front to challenge for the lead.
• He returned to the pits on lap 64 for brand new primary tires for their final stop of the race.
• After pitting, Newgarden took over fourth position where he ultimately ran for the remainder of the race.
• Following the race at Mid-Ohio, Newgarden has fallen to third-place in 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series point standings and is now 60 points behind leader Scott Dixon and 14 points behind second-place Alexander Rossi.

 

Quote:  “We just seemed to catch traffic and I don’t think our strategy worked quite as well as we wanted it do, but you make a plan and go with it…it didn’t quite all work today for us. But it was a very good effort from everybody today. I think the No. 1 Hitachi Chevrolet was good today.  We gave a good shot at it today…we will go back and analyze it and go on from here. It really seemed like a good race and lots of action. I hope the fans enjoyed that. I just know from inside my car, but it sure seemed like a lot of passing and we always want to put on a good show!”

 

 

 

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

Start: 3rd

Finish: 2nd

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 90/90

Laps Led: 9

Points Position: 4th (-87 pts)

 

Notes:

• It was a great points day for Will Power and the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet in Sunday’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after finishing third at the Lexington, Ohio road course.
• After starting second, the 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner maintained that position until he pitted on lap 24 for worn primary tires and fuel.
• By lap 40, Power took over the lead – this would ultimately be the first of nine laps he would lead.
• Roger Penske called Will Power to pit on lap 50 for worn primary tires and fuel in a strategy call which would attempt to maintain the lead.
• As the laps wore on, Power found himself running second on lap 66 challenging to get back to the lead.
• For his final pit stop on lap 68, Power picked up fresh alternate tires.
• On lap 73, Power found himself in the third position and would remain there until the checkered flag waved.
• Although the team didn’t capture Power’s allusive first win at Mid-Ohio, it was a strong performance that led to Will Power and the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet team moving up to the fourth position in 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series point standings.

 

Quote: “Everyone else is so good in this series that you just have to have everything perfect.   We just weren’t quite good enough on blacks (primary tires).  We really struggled to get up to speed on those, but were pretty good on reds (alternate tires).   But still a good day for the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet.  Obviously another full green race and I can’t believe it.  It just a series full of really good drivers now and no one makes mistakes and it just came down to strategy.”

 

 

 

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

Start: 8th

Finish: 17th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 90/90

Laps Led: 0

Points Position: 7th (-150 pts)

 

Notes:

• Simon Pagenaud and the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet may have started their day at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course towards the back half of the field in 17th-place but they ended their day on a high note finishing eighth.
• Pagenaud was hungry to move through the field at the start of the race and quickly progressed moving into the 11th spot after just 11 laps.
• His first pit stop of the day came on lap 16 for fresh alternate tires in hopes of continuing the team’s momentum to pick up additional spots.
• By lap 23, the French-born driver had moved all the way into the eighth spot – where he would ultimately finish the race.
• Pagenaud achieved a race high fifth position on lap 40. Immediately after, he pitted on lap 41 for worn primary tires and fuel.
• The No. 22 Menards Chevrolet returned to the pits on lap 64 for new alternate tires.
• By lap 80, Pagenaud moved into the eighth position and remained there until the checkered flag waved.
• Simon Pagenaud and the No. 22 Menards Chevrolet maintained the seventh spot in 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series point standings after the race at Mid-Ohio.

 

Quote:  “Without a warm-up this morning, it was going to be a bit of a guessing game as far as race set-up. Luckily, the No. 22 Menards Chevrolet team guessed right. I could really be myself and attack during this race. We’ve just got to keep working in that direction. I think we were able to make huge gains in our street circuit package in Toronto, the whole team is super-fast on ovals, and the last bit is getting where we need to be on these road courses. Today was very satisfying to prove that our showing during qualifying is not the true performance of the No. 22 Menards team.”