Josef Newgarden won Sunday night’s thriller at World Wide Technology Raceway, securing his second IndyCar win of the season.
There were multiple points where he an his competitors were trading passes for the lead, which thrilled fans that waited through two rain delays to see the conclusion.
At one point, Newgarden was dueling with Christian Rasmussen for the top spot, and the two traded positions multiple times with just 40 laps remaining.
After the race, Newgarden admitted that he did not realize that battle was for the lead.
He was mistaken in part because Alexander Rossi, in a similar livery to Rasmussen, was a lap down and near him on track. The eventual winner believed Rasmussen was simply attempting to unlap himself, and that his real battle was only with Marcus Ericsson behind.
“So I got a little confused,” admitted Newgarden. “I thought Christian was a lap car. I didn’t realize that was [Alexander] Rossi that was a lap car.
“It’s my fault. I was going to let him go. ‘[Rasmussen] doesn’t matter, I’ll just follow on him. I don’t really want to be behind him.’
“I still didn’t know he was on the lead lap. That is why when he came up to the podium, I am like, ‘What are you doing here? How did you get here? You were a lap down.’
“I think he got a little offended by that. I’m so glad that I repassed him. Yeah, that’s really the truth. I thought he was the lap car and Rossi was the one that I was going to fight if he was in the mix with Marcus [Ericsson].
“I didn’t know till I got to the podium. I was confused why he was there. I got it wrong in my mind.”
Discussion about this post