What Do Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Have To Do To Win Races?

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

NEWTON, Iowa — Josef Newgarden led a combined 304 laps at Iowa Speedway over the weekend.

He doesn’t have too much to show for it.

Josef Newgarden during INDYCAR Race Weekend Race 1 at Iowa Speedway

Yes, he finished second in Saturday’s race. But when a driver leads 232 of 275 laps, that driver believes that a trophy should accompany the effort.

On Sunday, he still had arguably the best car but circumstances resulted in him leading 72 laps and finishing 10th.

Those results show what everyone has seen all year: Penske cars do have speed but execution and other bad luck have soured their season.

After a 2-3-4 finish Saturday with Newgarden, Will Power and Scott McLaughlin, they finished 10-24-26 in the second race of the weekend doubleheader. That was after Power had an engine issue for the second consecutive week and McLaughlin crashed when Devlin DeFrancesco got loose underneath him.

Scott McLaughlin talks with Chevrolet engineer and Ben Bretzman during the INDYCAR Series Race Weekend (Race 2) at Iowa

“We just have to keep doing what you are doing,” Newgarden said. “Team Penske is working incredibly hard. [Saturday] was day for everyone. You may see the spirits raise.

“They needn’t change what they’re doing. They’re doing an awesome job. They introduced a quick automotive right here once more at present.”

It might be argued that it doesn’t matter what’s occurring, doing the identical factor would produce the identical outcomes.

Energy is eighth within the standings, McLaughlin is twelfth and Newgarden sits in 14th.

“I’ve zero doubt in our course of and what we do,” Newgarden mentioned earlier within the weekend after successful the pole for the Saturday race. “I have been right here a very long time. I’ve labored with one of the best of one of the best.

“We have now actually good individuals. Nonetheless do. And I believe the worst factor to do can be to vary what our course of is. To overreact can be the unsuitable resolution. That is positively not what we ought to be doing.”

Newgarden referred to as this a “distinctive” stretch.

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For a proud group like Crew Penske, it definitely isn’t straightforward.

Newgarden had a gradual pit cease that price him monitor place Saturday after which, with one other dominant automotive on Sunday, he had the misfortune of the yellow popping out when he was pitting.

On a brief monitor (0.894-mile) similar to Iowa Speedway, he misplaced a lap within the sequence after which, when he obtained his lap again, he needed to rally from the rear of the sector. He regained the lead however one other considerably gradual pit cease shortly adopted by a warning price him monitor place late within the race.

Newgarden has 31 profession victories and hates to lose. So even the second-place end Saturday was not one which thrilled him.

“With this [aero] package deal I used to be flat out,” Newgarden mentioned about attempting to go Pato O’Ward on the finish of the race Saturday. “I could not do something totally different. He obtained place, and that was that.”

As Newgarden was answering questions politely however not with lengthy solutions, Energy needled him.

“Josef likes to reply questions for the time being,” Energy mentioned. “He is seething. Seething. He did not win. He was shut, man.”

For Energy and McLaughlin, they might really feel extra of the identical this 12 months with good days and unhealthy days.

McLaughlin wrecked in qualifying on Saturday, which means he needed to begin on the rear for each races. He labored his means from twenty seventh to fourth within the first race, an unimaginable run. However his race on Sunday ended on the primary lap when Devlin DeFrancesco obtained free beneath him they usually each worn out.

“It’s the story of our 12 months,” McLaughlin mentioned.

McLaughlin may blame himself, because the crash Saturday put him in that place. Energy had an engine problem that Chevrolet will look into.

“This stuff come at such inconvenient instances, however everybody goes by means of it,” Energy mentioned. “It’s simply a kind of issues.”

It clearly hasn’t been a clean 12 months for Penske, which launched its three prime INDYCAR executives after a technical problem throughout Indy 500 qualifying was the second important violation because the begin of the 2024 season.

Earlier this month, the group introduced that Jonathan Diuguid had been promoted to President of the INDYCAR and sports activities automotive packages whereas Travis Legislation was named Competitors Director for the packages. Each Diuguid and Legislation had expertise in INDYCAR however had been specializing in sports activities automotive roles lately. The NASCAR management didn’t change.

McLaughlin mentioned Friday at Iowa that issues do appear settled with the management in place.

“I would not wish to be with one other crew by way of once we’re down on this proper now,” McLaughlin mentioned. “With the sources, the individuals, I actually suppose we’ll be simply effective.

“It’s going to take a while, however I really feel like that is meant to occur and we’ll get going.”

The one factor that’s vital to appreciate, McLaughlin mentioned, is that each one three drivers, once they have not had the velocity they needed, are combating related points. So the place the crew is specializing in getting higher is throughout the board of the three groups.

“We have had an excellent run,” McLaughlin mentioned. “It’s simply matter of possibly it was meant to occur, possibly this was meant to simply put us by means of the toughest level to appreciate how good it’s once we are going effectively.

“That’s how I am it. I am filled with positivity. … [Other teams] are doing nice jobs. We’re working onerous.”

Now they should see the work flip into wins.

“We had loads of potential to win a race all 12 months,” Energy mentioned. “It’s only a unusual 12 months.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time masking motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Observe him on Twitter @bobpockrass.