INDYCAR

Josef Newgarden wins his first Verizon IndyCar Series championship

SONOMA, Calif. —  The talent was never the question. For Josef Newgarden, a Verizon IndyCar Series championship was inevitable. Never “if,” but “when.”
Most around the series believed that when team owner Roger Penske came calling last year, it would take the budding superstar a season or so to adjust to the rhythms of Team Penske’s garage before flourishing.
They were wrong.
The 26-year-old Newgarden registered a respectable top-10 finish in his Penske debut and then took off. He earned his first Penske podium at Race 2 in Long Beach, his first Penske victory in Race 3 at Barber Motorsports Park and on Sunday evening at the finale in Sonoma, Calif., he delivered his first Penske championship.
The points leader heading into the race, Newgarden drove flawlessly from the pole.
“It’s awesome, just so cool. I’m just so proud of these guys,” Newgarden said. “It’s all year — it took a lot to make this happen. I got such great helps from my teammates. … To finally get it done, it’s a dream come true.”
The only thing that kept him from sealing his championship with a victory was the bold strategy and brilliant run deployed by 2016 IndyCar champion and Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud, who won his second race of the season.
“I’m exhausted. That was as hard as I could drive for 85 laps non-stop,” Pagenaud said. “I can barely lift my arms now. It was a phenomenal performance. It just shows the strength of Team Penske.
“I want to congratulate Josef. I’m very happy for him. He deserves it.”
Newgarden settled for second while delivering Penske the 15th season championship of his illustrious career.
He became the first American to win an IndyCar championship since Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2012 and the first driver younger than 30 to a win a title since Scott Dixon won his second in 2008.
Sunday’s podium was Newgarden’s ninth of the season and fifth in his past six races.
“It was my natural instinct to go after Pagenaud,” Newgarden said. “It just comes natural to want to win the race. I had to be talked down. But I’m happy for Pagenaud. He had the pace to win for today.”
Sunday’s podium was Newgarden’s ninth of the season and fifth in his past six races.
“It was my natural instinct to go after Pagenaud,” Newgarden said. “It just comes natural to want to win the race. I had to be talked down. But I’m happy for Pagenaud. He had the pace to win for today.”






USATODAY.COM