Alex Palou has extended his lead in the IndyCar standings with victory over Josef Newgarden at Road America this morning. Pato O’Ward rounded out the podium, holding off a strong challenge from Scott Dixon who finished fourth and as best Kiwi having started near the rear of the grid.
Scott McLaughlin finished eighth, while Marcus Armstrong lost out on strategy, having led at one point, to come home 24th.
Pole-sitter Colton Herta had led the race until the late stages, ultimately paying the price for an earlier stop and dropping down the order as Palou worked his way through. Newgarden, O’Ward and then Dixon would follow, leaving Herta to finish fifth.
It was a difficult result for the pole-sitter, who had led off the line into Turn 1 as Kyle Kirkwood and Santino Ferrucci ran into trouble, Kirkwood stalling after a spin and bringing out a short Safety Car.
Armstrong was one of the biggest movers off the start, sitting third when the intervention was called for. He remained in the battle for the lead as the race played out, boxing when Romain Grosjean spun out on Lap 12 but remaining out when another Safety Car was called for just before half-distance.
This saw him lead the field off the restart, but off sequence with the pack. He was eventually forced to come in on Lap 34 and dropped to the rear of the field.
“We had a good start and picked up about five spots,” said the Kiwi rookie. “The car was really good for the first stint and we were just fuel saving and tire saving. The car was mega.
“We had a few wobbles in the second stint but still it was okay. Unfortunately, we didn’t box with the rest of the field on the second safety car. But nevertheless, we’re going to learn from it and come back even stronger.”
It was a contrast in fortune for both Dixon and McLaughlin, who executed strategy from tough starting grids to be in contention within the top 10 over the final stages.
Dixon would challenge O’Ward late on to pressure for a podium, falling just short having started 23rd on the grid.
“It was definitely an interesting day,” he said. “Huge team effort and I’m happy to rebound the way we did with 19 spots moving forward. Obviously, a podium would’ve been nice, but huge credit to the 10 car and the whole team effort there. Good day for points, but obviously we could have had more.”
Palou’s lead over Marcus Ericsson now sits at 74 points, with Newgarden third and a further seven points back. Dixon and O’Ward are equal on points, 98 off the championship lead. McLaughlin is now sixth, 27 points behind Dixon.
IndyCar next returns at Mid-Ohio on July 2.
Header Image: Chip Ganassi Racing
