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

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 an excellent day for everyone. You would see the spirits carry.

“They need not change what they’re doing. They’re doing an excellent job. They introduced a quick automotive right here once more as we speak.”

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 stated earlier within the weekend after profitable the pole for the Saturday race. “I have been right here a very long time. I’ve labored with the very best of the very best.

“Now we have actually good folks. Nonetheless do. And I feel the worst factor to do could be to vary what our course of is. To overreact could be the improper determination. That is undoubtedly not what we needs to be doing.”

Newgarden referred to as this a “distinctive” stretch. 

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For a proud group like Workforce Penske, it definitely isn’t simple. 

Newgarden had a sluggish 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) resembling Iowa Speedway, he misplaced a lap within the sequence after which, when he received his lap again, he needed to rally from the rear of the sector. He regained the lead however one other considerably sluggish pit cease rapidly 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 stated about attempting to move Pato O’Ward on the finish of the race Saturday. “I could not do something totally different. He received 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 stated. “He is seething. Seething. He did not win. He was shut, man.”

For Energy and McLaughlin, they may really feel extra of the identical this yr with good days and dangerous days. 

McLaughlin wrecked in qualifying on Saturday, that means he needed to begin on the rear for each races. He labored his manner 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 received free beneath him and so they each worn out.

“It’s the story of our yr,” McLaughlin stated.

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

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

It clearly hasn’t been a easy yr for Penske, which launched its three prime INDYCAR executives after a technical concern throughout Indy 500 qualifying was the second vital 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 Regulation was named Competitors Director for the packages. Each Diuguid and Regulation had expertise in INDYCAR however had been specializing in sports activities automotive roles lately. The NASCAR management didn’t change.

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

“I would not wish to be with one other crew when it comes to after we’re down on this proper now,” McLaughlin stated. “With the assets, the folks, I actually assume we’ll be simply superb.

“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 necessary to comprehend, McLaughlin stated, is that every one three drivers, after they have not had the velocity they wished, 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 stated. “It’s simply matter of perhaps it was meant to occur, perhaps this was meant to only put us via the toughest level to comprehend how good it’s after we are going properly.

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

Now they should see the work flip into wins.

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

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

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