Photo Credit: Chris Owens/IndyCar
Despite some issues during the race, Josef Newgarden would rebound to get a top-ten finish at Phoenix Raceway, finishing sixth.
He started the 250 lap race in seventh position. On Lap 49 when pitting under caution, Newgarden’s the No. 21 team car had a slow pit stop due to fueling issues.
“The race was difficult we could have stayed up front all night without having problems it could have been different,” he said.
He pitted under green and then saw the caution fly a couple laps later on Lap 120 which put him a couple laps down. He was able to get the wave around on another caution which put him back on the lead lap. His problems didn’t stop there as on Lap 136 Charlie Kimball cut across him in turn one and spun, causing right wing damage that needed a replacement wing
”We just kept going to the back of the field, first with the pit stop mishap and then with the broken wing,” he said.
He was on pit road when his teammate Ed Carpenter ht the wall on Lap 196 and luckily stayed on the lead lap for the restart.
“We kept charging forward, which speaks volumes to the performance of the car and what the team produced,” he said.
This weekend’s sixth-place finish was huge for him after he finished 22nd in the season opener in St Petersburg last month after mechanical issues.
“Its a shame we couldn’t get a little higher than sixth but they are good points,” he said.
The driver of the Fuzzy’s No. 21 is ready to move on to the next race in Long Beach which is April 17th.
“We’ll move on and try to be a littler higher up,” he said.
