Category: NTT Indy

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021) – Alex Palou clinched his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with a composed drive to fourth place Sunday in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, a race won by Colton Herta.

Palou became the first Spaniard to win an INDYCAR SERIES championship and is Chip Ganassi Racing’s second consecutive title winner and 14th INDYCAR SERIES champion overall. This is his first season with the powerhouse team in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, joining CGR after his rookie season in 2020, when he finished 16th in the standings.

“What a race, what a year, what a season,” Palou said. “This team is amazing. I’m super proud to be a part of Chip Ganassi Racing, all our partners. I’m super proud to be a champion and for the opportunity these guys gave me.

“Dream completed. Let’s get another one now.”

Said team owner Chip Ganassi: “Ladies and gentlemen, you’re seeing a young man that’s going to set a lot of records in this business, and he’s already starting. What a great year we’ve had. I’ve got to be honest with you: It has surprised us when he came in the door and the job he’s done. My hat’s off. Congratulations.”

In the most definitive sign of the youth movement this season in the series, Palou, 24, is the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion younger than 25 since current teammate Scott Dixon in 2003. Palou is the seventh-youngest champion in INDYCAR SERIES history.

Herta, who led all three practice sessions this weekend, beat Josef Newgarden to the checkered flag by .5883 of a second in his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda to finish the season with two consecutive victories and three overall in 2021. Herta rebounded from starting 14th after hitting the wall in NTT P1 Award qualifying. He swept both races in his native California this season and won for the first time at his home race in Long Beach, which he attended since childhood to watch his father and current strategist, Bryan Herta, race in the INDYCAR SERIES.

“It feels amazing,” Herta said. “This has been on the bucket list for so long. Super happy.”

Scott McLaughlin clinched the Rookie of the Year award after finishing 11th in the No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, becoming the first Team Penske driver to earn this honor. New Zealand native McLaughlin joined Penske’s INDYCAR SERIES team after winning three consecutive Australian Supercars titles for the organization.

“I’m really proud of everyone with the PPG Chevy,” McLaughlin said. “The car’s been awesome, and I finally got it to my liking the last six or seven races. I’m really excited for next year. This year was a foundation year, all about building, and I feel like I’ve done that.”

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon finished third today in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda, 1.3368 seconds ahead of champion teammate Palou. 2016 series champion Simon Pagenaud rounded out the top five in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet.

Herta, who grew up in Valencia, just 60 miles north of Long Beach, took the lead for good on Lap 64 of the 85-lap race on the streets of Long Beach. He led a race-high 43 laps and was quick on both the Firestone “black” primary tires and “red” alternate tires.

That ability to find speed and traction on both tire compounds was vital for Herta. He started 14th on the alternate tires, staying on that rubber compound after his first pit stop, too. So, INDYCAR rules mandating that each driver must use both compounds during the race forced Herta to switch to the slower but more durable primary tires for his last stint on track, while Newgarden and other pursuers already had used primary tires earlier in the race and were on the faster but less durable alternate tires for their run to the checkered flag.

Herta had built an 8.8-second lead on his final stint on the alternate tires before pitting on Lap 55 for primary tires. Newgarden jumped into the pits on the same lap for alternate tires and began cutting into Herta’s lead almost immediately.

Newgarden also caught a break on Lap 62 when Oliver Askew’s No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda nosed into the tire barrier in Turn 9 after contact with Conor Daly’s No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet while dueling for position. That triggered the fourth and final caution period of the race, bunching field for a vital restart on Lap 65 with Herta in the lead and Newgarden second.

Herta, on primary tires, appeared vulnerable to losing the lead on the restart to Newgarden, on grippier alternate tires. But Herta rocketed away at the start of the restart zone and got superb traction exiting the famous hairpin corner leading to the front straight and green flag, while Newgarden’s car lost grip exiting the hairpin.

“We had a great car,” Herta said. “Reds or blacks, we seemed to have the pace. I just can’t believe it.”

But Newgarden refused to give up, showing the resiliency of a two-time series champion. He continued to shave the gap every lap, pulling to within .680 of a second with eight laps to go.

Herta and Newgarden raced in accordion fashion around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile circuit, with Herta – who was running less downforce on his rear wing than Newgarden – building his lead on straightaways and Newgarden taking advantage of more grip to cut that deficit in tight turns.

Newgarden pulled to within a car-length or two of Herta late in the tight, treacherous fountain turn complex. But the gap grew on the straights due to less drag on Herta’s rear wing, and he was able to hold on for victory.

The runner-up finish helped Newgarden jump to second in the final championship standings, 38 points behind Palou.

“Colton did a great job, so congrats to him and his entire crew,” Newgarden said. “He was on the right tire on the right point of the race. If there were no yellows, I think we would have been OK today, to cruise out front. But that’s the way it rolls sometimes.

“Strong effort by our team. I think my crew was the fastest in pit lane all year, so there’s a lot to be prideful for. We fought hard. We came up a little bit short this year, which is unfortunate, but we fought all year long.”

Pato O’Ward, who entered the race 35 points behind Palou in second, ended up 62 points back in third after a disappointing day. O’Ward’s No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevy was hit from behind by the No. 18 SealMaster Honda of Ed Jones and spun in the hairpin turn at the end of Lap 1, dropping him to the rear of the field. That contact led to a loss of drive on Lap 19 after the half-shaft in his right rear wheel snapped.

O’Ward returned to the track on Lap 53 after extensive repair time but dropped out when it became apparent second place in the championship was out of reach. He ended up in 27th place.

“It’s not the first time he has hit us and not the first time he has done something stupid all season,” O’Ward said of the early contact from Jones. “I just wish he could use his head a bit more, at least respect the guys who are fighting for the championship.

“I think we’ve had a great season. I’m proud of the team; I’m proud of myself.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
STREETS OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
SCOTT MCLAUGLIN WINS ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR
SEPT. 26, 2021

Chevrolet powers McLaughlin to Rookie of the Year title
Team Penske driver impresses in first NTT INDYCAR SERIES season

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 26, 2021) – He’s a long way from New South Wales, Australia, and the familiarity of the cockpit of the Australian Supercar he has driven to 56 race wins and three championships. But Scott McLaughlin has taken to American open-wheel racing and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with remarkable determination and the ability to maximize his impressive skill set.

At times it wasn’t easy — it’s a leap from sedan racing, although competition is on both road and street courses — to single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel IndyCars. And he is undoubtedly his biggest critic.

McLaughlin, who completed his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with 11th- place finish in the No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet on the Streets of Long Beach, has won the INDYCAR Rookie of the Year title.

“I’m really proud of everyone on the PPG Chevy,” said McLaughlin. “I think the car has been awesome, and I finally got it to my liking the last six or seven races. So, I’m really proud of everyone at Team Penske and I’m really excited for next year. This year was a foundation year; all about building and I feel like I’ve done that. Hopefully I can be a little bit further up next year.”

The native of Hamilton, New Zealand, made the move from competing for Team Penske in Australian Supercars to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. McLaughlin quickly showed adaptability in handling the 1,700-pound race car with Chevrolet’s powerful 2.2-liter V-6, direct-injected, twin-turbocharged engine.

“Congratulations to Scott McLaughlin on winning the 2021 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year award,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president Motorsports and Performance. “It was impressive how quickly he adapted to racing in the IndyCar Series. Scott combined his incredible skills with an absolute openness to learn every time he drove the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet in a test, practice or race. We are so proud to have Scott as part of Team Chevy and look forward to continued success in the 2022 season.”

Starting the season at Barber Motorsports Park, McLaughlin garnered two top-five finishes, including runner-up on the Texas Motor Speedway oval, and five top 10s. Romain Grosjean (one pole and one podium) and Jimmie Johnson were the other first-year drivers.

McLaughlin was the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Race with a top-20 qualifying and finishing effort. He made his inaugural appearance in the Firestone Fast Six for the first race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and led first laps at Portland, Oregon.

McLaughlin will begin his second season in the Team Penske Chevrolet on Feb. 27, 2022, on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES POST RACE ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR PRESS CONFERENCE

THE MODERATOR: What a 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Wrapping up not only the year, but obviously the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Congratulations to our 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year. In the end it was a 33-point advantage over Romain Grosjean as Scott McLaughlin got it done.

Overall your thoughts about the day and perhaps more importantly winning the Rookie of the Year.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I think you get one shot to win this. It’s a proud moment regardless to win it. My ultimate goal was potentially top 12, top 10 in the championship. You always strive for more. To win the Rookie of the Year, it will sit with me forever and no one can ever take it away from me.
Today we took a little bit of a punt just with the strategy at the start, staying out. Would have worked out if there wasn’t another quick yellow. Unfortunately there was. We pitted obviously. It put us back to sort of 22, 23. After that it was all just about trying to make the most of what we had. We moved our way forward all the way to 11th.
Overall towards the end of the season, since probably St. Louis, potentially before that, I felt like I’ve had a good stranglehold on the car. I’ve come in leaps and bounds in terms of my confidence with the care. It really sets me up well for 2022.
Qualifying is skill my Achilles’ heel right now, with the different compounds, getting used to that tire-wise. I’m happy. I had a year that’s had its ups and downs, overperformed, under performed, had a podium, close to having some semi-good results at the Indy 500. I’ve really enjoyed it.

Proud of this year because it could have gone one of two ways. It’s been a big challenge for me and my wife to come back across here, order a couch, took four weeks to get a couch, then you sit on bean bags for a while, testing, doing a lot of different things. It’s been a lot of things off and on the track and just really proud to get through it with some success at the end of it.

THE MODERATOR: You can’t test at a place like Long Beach or the street courses. Last year I remember a chilly Indianapolis Motor Speedway, your first opportunity to run in a car. It’s been quite a transition for you this year.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, if I think back to that point, where I was when I was then, to where I am now, confidence levels, how I feel in the car, it’s completely different. This is my first ever open-wheel championship. The only thing I’ve driven is two races in a Formula Ford. This is a different kettle of fish, probably the most competitive series in the world. To compete with these guys, girls, Simona, at the Indy 500 is a privilege.
I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s made me better. I certainly feel like I’m a better racing driver even though I’m finishing the solidly finishing in the back edge of the 12. But I feel better and I’m excited for what’s ahead.

THE MODERATOR: We’ll take questions.

Q. Can you comment on the excitement around the young talent in INDYCAR.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I think it’s exciting for the category. You look at Alex, who just won the championship. Big congrats to him. A second-year guy just made it all happen and the most of his opportunity at Ganassi. Pato and Rinus. Both won this year. Pato nearly won the championship. It’s exciting. Colton obviously winning today.
INDYCAR is in such a good set right now, it’s getting ready to go. I’m excited for these young guys to come through. I certainly believe that someone like Pato or Colton, they’re good enough for Formula 1. They’re good enough to take it to the very top. I’m not saying this isn’t it, but I think you’d be hard-pressed to find them wanting to leave.
INDYCAR is so good right now, it’s such a good category. I can’t see it getting any smaller. It’s just going to get bigger and bigger. The fan base as well. I think that’s exciting.

Q. Where did you finish in the championship in the end? 12th?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think. I think around there. I really don’t know.

Q. What would you say is a realistic target for next year or are you just thinking in terms of wins or podiums?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think top 10 in the championship, for sure, I need to be pushing there, getting results in the top 10. I think we’ve got that merit. I think we took a few risks on strategy the last few races because of where we were in the championship, we had nothing to lose.
Next year, would we have taken that yellow at the start? Probably. Then we probably would have been a lot further up. But it’s exciting where I am and, like, where I feel. I certainly believe in my mind that I can be right there in that top eight, really be contesting for wins and podiums more regularly.
I’ve still got a lot to learn. I think this year, being able to go back to all these tracks that I learnt, I feel, yeah, it’s going to feel amazing.

Q. A massive focus at Penske on the 500. On the other hand there’s nowhere in the world where second place means less, right?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Maybe Bathurst (laughter).

Q. Would you say, given your performance this year at the 500, a victory there is on the cards?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Oh, I’m going next year to Indy with the idea of winning. I’m going to be in a car that can win the race. I know I’m quick there. I know I’m quick on ovals. I feel like I’ve got a handle on it. It’s just a matter of having a good month, building up to it. Dotting my Is, crossing my Ts, not speeding in pit lane. That really hampered me. I think we were on for a top five.
I feel like this whole rookie thing could have been sealed a lot longer if I could have finished where I was going to finish at the Indy 500. I was infatuated with the Bathurst 1000 before I won it. Now I’m infatuated with the Indy 500. With my wife, I’ll watch old Indy 500s on tele, YouTube videos, watch anything at the end of the day. I just will be infatuated with it until I go good there and get a result. Certainly I want to get there next year.

THE MODERATOR: 14th overall in the championship this year.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Oh, damn it. Must have been close.
THE MODERATOR: Yes.

Q. Is there one memory that stands out from this year?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think you have to go back to Texas, following Scottie there. I certainly didn’t think I’d be in that position. I thought we could have been easily top five. To be battling for the win almost, really chasing him till the end, that was a good feeling.
I think also starting my first Indy 500, there’s nothing better. Rolling out and seeing all the fans. Every driver in the intro room was saying, Wait till you see it next year when it’s full. I can’t wait. What I saw, 50% or whatever it was, it’s going to be off the chain. I’m really excited for that.

Q. Out of all these tracks, they were all new this year, is there one that really stood out as a track you felt comfortable at and enjoyed? How has life been in the U.S. by comparison to living down this way?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: To be honest, I really enjoyed Laguna Seca. I felt really comfortable there. Felt like we had a really good car. Out of all the street tracks, I feel like this one’s probably my favorite. Out of the ovals, obviously Indianapolis was probably my favorite obviously just for obvious reasons.
In terms of living in America, it’s just a whole lot bigger. New Zealand, it’s a beautiful place, but the amount of people and things you can do here, I think no disrespect to the Americans, I feel like they take for granted what they have here. It’s such an amazing country. I feel privileged to live here. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to potentially go a Green Card and permanent residency. I also feel privileged to have a passport in New Zealand to go home whenever I want. Miss my home terribly. Miss my mom and dad. They haven’t seen me in the INDYCAR in the flesh yet. It’s been on the box, watching on TV. They’re my biggest fans. I can’t wait for them to be at the Indy 500 next year.

Q. What can you take from this season to go forward into next year to come out with a better result?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Like I’ve said, I need to get qualifying sorted and understand the tire. The hardest thing for me here is I’ve been so used in the super car extracting qualifying, you only had one lap to do it basically. The peak of the tire, you learnt that quite quickly, how to get it to its peak early enough in the lap to do a really good lap time over one lap.
Here the laps — your fastest lap sometimes happens on lap two, three, potentially lap four. Trying to get the tire to come on at the very perfect, right time is very difficult and hard to understand or explain.
But that will be certainly what I work on in the off-season, trying to understand. But I think I’ve slowly got it. It’s just the guys that have got it sorted, the guys that have been around for many years, even guys like Romain who have been on different compounds for a long time, they’ve got it sorted. I have to work hard to make it to that point.
If I can get qualifying sorted, I feel like I’m as good as many people in the race.

Q. What was it that attracted you to INDYCAR?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: The opportunity to race for Team Penske, probably the most world famous team, one of the most world famous teams in the sport of motorsports. To drive for Roger in INDYCAR is pretty special. To then race at tracks like this, race the Indy 500, events that I’ve watched since I was a little kid, that’s certainly special.
It’s just, yeah, an opportunity to try something completely different. I have so many bad habits from my super car days that have hampered me this year, so I think that’s why I’ve gone good on the oval because I’ve never been on an oval before, so I’ve got no bad habits.
The road course stuff, it’s just completely different. I don’t have a roof over my head anymore. I’ve got a windscreen, but it’s different. I have open-wheels. I’m not banging doors any more. I can’t bang doors because if I do that, I’m going to be in a lot of trouble. It’s a lot of hard work trying to understand, trying to portray that to the media and the public. I’ve enjoyed the transition, feel like I’ve done an okay job.

Q. If I’m not mistaken, I believe you are the very first Rookie of the Year winner from Team Penske, probably the only thing they didn’t win in INDYCAR yet. What did you feel about racing for Team Penske in your first season?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think it just shows that Roger doesn’t really employ rookies (smiling).
I feel privileged to be in that position. But I also feel a bit vulnerable. Look, it’s a proud moment. Like I said, you get one chance to win this Rookie of the Year. I was lucky to win Rookie of the Year at Indy, Rookie of the Year this year in the championship. Any time you’re winning for Roger in any way, shape or form he’s happy. Yeah, hopefully it’s just a little bit of job security (smiling).

Q. You got your best result of the year in second place at Texas on an oval. Was it a surprise to you? What do you feel is your comfort level on these tracks now?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: If we had qualifying and I was able to qualify, I feel like we could have qualified in the top five. I felt really strong on the ovals, like I said. Especially at Texas. I was a bit bummed not to qualify that race. Then we started 15. That’s where it was a surprise because I was just surprised. We made our way through, had really good speed on the in and out laps. I don’t really know what to expect on the in and out laps. One of my first times heading into pit road at speed because it had rained over practice, qualifying and stuff.
It was one of those things where I just trusted my instincts, trusted my talent, my feelings. It worked really good. So the minute after that, I was like, Well, if I can maximize that, I can be better and better. I started overdriving. I sort of am back to where I felt at Texas, where I’m letting it all happen, enjoying it.
Yeah, that was definitely a pivotal moment for me this year, something I really enjoyed.

Q. After racing in touring cars in Australia and New Zealand for many years, is this what you expected or were there some things that surprised you?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: No, no, there was certainly — I think how hard it’s been to extract the speed on the red and the black tire in qualifying. I found it easier to do it in practice because you have I guess an unlimited amount of laps. If you make a mistake, you can get away with it. In qualifying you simply can’t. The battles are so close, so tight, you can’t afford to make any mistakes.
I’m surprised with the competitiveness of the category, I think everyone has. This year it’s been crazy close, you just can’t make mistakes. That’s why we go racing. We take the risks to get faster and faster and I feel good.

Q. Do Supercars have a Rookie of the Year title? I assume you won it in 2013?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, they do. It’s called the Mike Kable Young Gun Award, unfortunately named after a guy that passed away. I won that, which was pretty special, too. I guess you can say I’ve won in all the categories I competed in, which is nice.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. You’re a rookie no longer.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Thank God.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Both MSR Indy Cars lead laps during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach, Calif. (26 September 2021) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) closed out the 2021 NTT INDYCAR season in strong fashion in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, with both team entries leading the race at different stages on their way to seventh and 20th place finishes.

Jack Harvey – who started 25th – raced to finish seventh in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is the second consecutive race that Harvey has was the hard charger of the race after advancing 18 positions.

After starting from the second row and leading 14 laps, Helio Castroneves’ race was ultimately bound to a 20th place result in the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda.

After 47 races together and many accomplishments later, Harvey took his final laps with MSR on Sunday. To close out his five year run with the team, Harvey redeemed himself from an unfortunate qualifying incident which forced him to start from the back of the 27 car field.

Strategy calls from the box sent Harvey into pit lane for his first of two pit stops on lap 25 for a set of new alternate tires. Just 20 laps later, Harvey broke into the top five and ultimately raced to the lead before pitting on Lap 56. With a full tank of fuel, it was full attack to the finish. With the top five in sight, Harvey made every attempt to move through the field, but with every car ahead on the same fuel strategy, he crossed the line with an impressive seventh place finish.

“Today was an emotional day,” said Harvey. “I don’t really have many words to be honest. I’ve been with MSR for five years now and I think we have really grown together since uur first race back in 2017. To finish the season, and my last race with the team with a seventh place finish, I couldn’t be happier. There are a lot of things going through my head right now, but I’m forever grateful for what this team has done for me.”

Castroneves converted his best qualifying result of the season (third) into a run at the front of the pack in the early stages of the 85-lap race. Castroneves took the No. 06 MSR machine to the front of the field and led for 14 laps.

A pair of caution periods had the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner well-placed to take advantage of a range of fuel strategies. But with a long green flag run forcing a green flag stop, the popular Brazilian-born racer found himself deep in the 28-car field.

Despite some strong pit work from the MSR team and good pace on the Firestone tires, the final stages of the race didn’t provide enough opportunity to move forward as Castroneves had hoped and he ended the race 20th.

“In a strategy situation, I leave it up to the team to make the call,” said Castroneves. “The strategy call was a little bit of a gamble, but I thought that the strategy may have played in our favor. The car overall was really great and it’s no question that this was great preparation for next year.”

The checkered flag marked not only the conclusion of the season, but also a big weekend for Meyer Shank Racing which led both the IMSA WeatherTech race on Saturday as well as leading the INDYCAR race on Sunday, as well as playing host to a large contingent of AutoNation guests.

The team is already making preparations for the 2022 INDYCAR season and will be making announcements about team plans in the near future.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021) – One down, two to go: The miracle is still alive for Josef Newgarden.

Newgarden, who needs a perfect weekend in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach to have any chance of winning his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, kept his narrow chances afloat in the shadow of the Queen Mary ocean liner by winning the NTT P1 Award for the season-ending race on the Streets of Long Beach. Newgarden entered this race 48 points behind leader Alex Palou and needed to win the pole today and win the race and lead the most laps Sunday to have any chance to hoist the Astor Challenge Cup.

Team Penske driver Newgarden led the Firestone Fast Six with a top lap of 1 minute, 8.2241 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet to earn his series-leading fourth NTT P1 Award of the season. His best lap came on his final trip around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit.

The pole came after Newgarden qualified 18th on Sept. 14 at Portland and 17th last Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca despite showing impressive speed in practice.

“I was pretty much screaming that whole last lap,” Newgarden said. “I’m so happy. It’s been a little bit demoralizing the last couple of weekends with where we qualified. We’ve had really good cars. To start where we’ve started these last couple of races, it’s just taken the life out of me a little bit.

“I’m so pumped we were able to be quick here. I think we’ve got the package, for sure, with Team Chevy. We’ve accomplished our job for today. Now we have to go after tomorrow.”

Live coverage of the 85-lap race starts at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday on NBCSN and the INDYCAR Radio Network. A 30-minute warmup starts at noon (ET), live on Peacock Premium.

Palou must finish 12th or better – or 13th or better if he leads a lap – to clinch his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. He’ll start 10th on the grid after a dramatic end to the round of 12 in qualifying in which a handful of drivers, including Palou and closest title rival Pato O’Ward, on fast final laps were forced to slow due to a local yellow flag for an incident involving Will Power.

Newgarden’s only chance to win the title is to win and lead the most laps Sunday, with Palou finishing 25th or worse in the 28-car field.

“It’s very improbable for us to win this championship,” Newgarden said. “So, our goal is to win the race tomorrow. Let’s finish our season on a high note, and we’ll see what happens. I think it’s pretty unlikely, but you never say never in this sport.”

The other title contender, O’Ward, will start eighth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

O’Ward is second in the standings, 35 points behind Palou. Like Newgarden, O’Ward needs to win Sunday and have Palou finish 25th or lower. He also could claim his first title by finishing second and earning at least one bonus point for leading a lap, if Palou finishes 25th or lower.

Six-time and reigning series champion Scott Dixon will join Newgarden on the front row after qualifying second at 1:08.4422 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Helio Castroneves qualified third at 1:08.4827 in the No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, easily the best start of his partial season. Castroneves’ previous best start was eighth for the Indy 500, which he won. His best start in four previous road or street course races this season was 15th at Nashville.

Joining Castroneves on the second row will be 2016 series champion Simon Pagenaud, whose best lap was 1:08,6514 in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet.

Felix Rosenqvist qualified fifth at 1:08.7461 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, while rookie Romain Grosjean rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 1:08.7577 in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda.

Drama gripped the paddock and grandstands from the first round of NTT P1 Award qualifying and never relented.

Colton Herta, quickest in both practice sessions this weekend, was eliminated from the first round of qualifying and will start 14th. Herta hit the concrete retaining wall with the left side of his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda late in the second group while running on Firestone primary “black” tires. He came to the pits for a set of Firestone alternate “red” tires, but the toe link suspension piece bent by the earlier contact broke on his final flying lap on “reds,” and he was forced to abandon the run.

“It was a handful until it wasn’t bent anymore and just broke,” Herta said. “It was my fault, unfortunately. It will make for an interesting race, though. We’re starting 14th and have two sets of new reds. Could be a good thing, a charge to the front tomorrow.”

Another flashpoint came at the end of the Firestone Fast 12, when Power slowed to a stop in Turn 10 after clipping the wall in his No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, triggering a local yellow flag. O’Ward, Palou and a handful of other drivers on fast laps were forced by the rules to slow in that area, and Ed Jones lost his fast lap in the No. 18 SealMaster Honda that would have put him in the Firestone Fast Six after officials judged he didn’t slow for the local yellow.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
STREETS OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
QUALIFYING RECAP-NEWGARDEN PUTS CHEVY ON POLE
SEPT. 25, 2021

JOSEF NEWGARDEN PUTS CHEVY ON POLE AT LONG BEACH
O’WARD AND NEWGARDEN TO BATTLE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP ON SUNDAY

LONG BEACH, CALIF (Sept 25,2021) – Two-time NTT INDYCAR Series champion Josef Newgarden came into the season’s final weekend knowing exactly what he had to do to keep his championship hopes alive sitting third in the standings 45 points down to the leader.

So far the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet is one-for-one. He progressed to the Firestone Fast Six and turned that into the pole with a lap of 1 minute 08.22411 seconds/103.846 mph.

For the fourth time this season and 15th time in his career, he will lead the field to the green flag and add another NTT P1 Award to his trophy case. With today’s pole, Newgarden stays in contention for the season-long NTT P1 Award.

Team Chevy drivers Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, and Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet joined Newgarden in the final round of knock-out qualifying. They will start Sunday’s race fourth and fifth respectively.

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, who came to Long Beach second in points, 35 points behind leader Alex Palou will start eighth tomorrow. Palou will roll off 10th.

Rookie-of-the-year contender Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, qualified 13th for the season finale.

Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves and Romain Grojean made up the remainder of the Firestone Fast Six, and will start second, third and sixth respectively.

NBCSN will telecast the 85-lap/167-mile race on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit in Long Beach, California at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 26. The race will be broadcast live on INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, Indycar.com, and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER STARTING POSITIONS:
No. 2 Josef Newgarden, Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, Qualified POLE
No. 22 Simon Pagenaud, Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, Qualified 4th
No. 7 Felix Rosenqvist, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Qualified 5th
No. 5 Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, Qualified 8th
No.12 Will Power, Verizon5G Team Penske Chevrolet, Qualified 12th
No. 3 Scott McLaughlin, PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, Qualified 13th
No. 77 Callum Ilott, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, Qualified 18th
No. 20 Conor Daly, U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, Qualified 21st
No. 14 Sebastien Bourdais, ROKIT AJ Foyt Chevrolet, Qualified 22nd
No. 59 Max Chilton, Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet, Qualified 23rd
No. 21 Rinus VeeKay, Sonax/AutoGeek Ed Carpenter Chevrolet, Qualified 24th
No. 4 Dalton Kellett, K-Line AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, Qualified 26th

DRIVER QUOTES:
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – POLE WINNER
YOU ARE FIRED-UP! THAT IS GREAT TO SEE. YOU DID WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO
“There’s some guy roaming around Long Beach that has just been yelling all weekend and getting us fired-up (laughter), and I was pretty much screaming that whole last lap. He’s at the track somewhere. He’s just getting me hyped. He was getting all of us hyped. He needs to be in this pit box.

“I’m so happy. It’s been a little bit demoralizing the last couple of weekends where we’ve qualified. We’ve had really good cars. The team has been doing a phenomenal job, Gavin (Ward, Race Engineer) and all the boys. They’ve been killing it. To start where we’ve started these last couple of races has just taken the life out of me a little bit. So, I’m so pumped that we were able to be quick here. I think we’ve got the package, for sure, with Team Chevy. I wish we had more of a fight with Colton (Herta). He was going to be really tough to beat today. It’s a shame we didn’t get to fight him straight up, but you know what? We accomplished our job for today and now we have to go after it tomorrow.”

YOU HAVE A CHANCE AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP. IT HAS TO GO REALLY BAD FOR ALEX PALOU. HOW DO YOU APPROACH TOMORROW? IT SEEMS PRETTY SIMPLE SINCE YOU CAN’T CONTROL THEM
“Yeah, I mean look, we’ve fought hard all year. We’ve had ups and downs. It’s very unprobeable for us to win this championship. So, I think our goal is to win the race tomorrow. Let’s finish our season on a high note. Everyone here deserves that. We’ll see what happens. I think it’s pretty unlikely, but you never say never in this sport.”

DOES SECOND IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATTER? IS THERE SIGNIFICANCE IN THAT IF YOU CAN GET PAST PATO O’WARD?
“Well, we always want to maximize our potential. If second is what we can do for the year, then we want to get that done. I know that’s what’s important to Roger (Penske) and the team and the same with me. So, we’re going to do everything we can to finish as high as possible and we’ll see where the chips fall at the end of the day.”

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE ARROW MCLAREN SP – QUALIFIED 5th
WALK US THROUGH ALL THE CONFUSION TO MAKE IT TO THE FAST 12, WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL AND EVERYONE SAYING YOU DIDN’T SLOW DOWN, YOU SAID YOU DID SLOW DOWN. WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?
“Man, I don’t know how they judged that because I’m happy I got through and we were fast enough to get through. But man, the car was standing there, and they kept the yellow for two or three laps and its qualifying. You have to push. But I wasn’t pushing. I was slowing down like three-tenths in that section, which I thought was safe. So yeah, I think we just have to be more clear on how the rule works. But anyway, I thought it was a good session. We ended up P-5. Maybe wanted a little bit more out of the Fast Six, but it was good qualifying again.”

TALK ABOUT THE SPEED IN YOUR CAR, BUT ALSO HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR TEAMMATE TOMORROW? THAT’S GOING TO BE THE FOCUS FOR THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION AT ARROW MCLAREN SP
“Yeah, we haven’t talked a lot about it yet but I think tonight we’ll go through potential scenarios. The fact that we’re up there is helpful. I think that’s a really good thing that both cars are starting in the top – 10. It just gives you more window to play around with things, with strategy, and potential outcomes that can happen in the race. It’s INDYCAR and you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. We kind of have to get through Turn 1 and then we’ll see where we are. I’ll just push and do my best race.”

SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS TEAM PENSKE – QUALIFIED 4th
YOU SAID IF YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT MORE OUT OF THE HAIRPIN, YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE POLE
“Yeah, I was on the lap and went hard in the hairpin and it was a little too much for the car. I may have lost second position there, but I tried. The goal was to go for pole position but Josef (Newgarden) sticked a really good one in. Great for Team Penske to be one and four. And tomorrow, we get to go racing. It’s my favorite track, so I’ve been enjoying the weekend.”

YOU’VE BEEN IN THESE CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLES. PATO O’WARD STARTING 8th AND ALEX PALOU STARTING 10th. HOW WOULD YOU PLAY THE GAME IF YOU WERE THOSE GUYS? AND ARE THEY NERVOUS TONIGHT STARTING MID-PACK LIKE THAT?
“Well, first of all, personally, and I’m sure it’s the same for a lot of drivers. But it’s awesome to be in the fight in the end. You’re doing this to be in the fight in the last race and Pato and Palou are in it. Man, Pato is in a tough situation. He’s starting mid-pack you know, and it’s been a mess, mid-pack, lately. So, I’m sure it won’t be easy, but he’s got cold blood. He’s really good. And Indy after the crash, he came back and finished second, so he’s strong. He’s going to be able to manage the pressure, I’m sure. But it is not an easy situation he’s in but first you’ve got go through all the mess.”

TAYLOR KEIL, PRESIDENT ARROW MCLAREN SP AND STRATEGIST FOR PATO O’WARD:
ON CONFUSION AT THE END OF FAST 12 SESSION:
“I think we should (be in the Firestone Fast Six). We’ve actually got some data on our own team – I’m surprised Felix is through – frankly, good for him. Two cars we know went through the local yellow, but the results are official, so we have to make the best with what we’ve got. It’s unfortunate when the stakes are so high at the moment.”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 8th
I KNOW YOU CAN’T SEE WHAT THE OTHER CARS ARE DOING, BUT WHAT’S YOUR REACTION AND WHAT THE SITUATION IS WITH THIS RACE NOW IN NOT GETTING A CHANCE TO START IN THE FRONT COUPLE OF ROWS?
“Yeah, we should be in there. We were up on our last lap and I had eyes and I saw yellow flags and there were yellow flags until the end of the session. (Alex) Palou had to slow in front of me. I slowed up because that’s what you have to do whenever there are yellow flags. INDYCAR is never consistent with their calls. They need to review that because we should be in the Fast Six right now.”

THE CONSOLATION IS THAT ALEX PALOU IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU. WHAT CAN YOU MAKE HAPPEN TOMORROW? WHAT KIND OF STRATEGY OPTIONS DO YOU HAVE TO TRY TO WIN THE RACE AND MAYBE PUT HIM IN A BAD SITUATION?
“He’s not the only one we’re worrying about. There’s Josef (Newgarden), there’s Scott (Dixon) that are in there and we should be fighting against at least for pole. I don’t know if we quite had it for the pole, but we definitely had it to get into the Fast Six. It’s a crappy situation. A bummer. But we’ll see what we can do.”

NTT INDYCAR SERIES POST QUALIFYING NEWS CONFERENCE
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET
PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Wrapping up qualifying at Long Beach. Joined by Josef Newgarden, the fourth pole of the season, 15th career pole for Josef today. Also joined on the far end by Pato O’Ward, second in the championship. He will start eighth tomorrow.
Pato, championship still very much in play. The good news is you start in front of Alex tomorrow. How big of an advantage is that on a street course like Long Beach?
PATO O’WARD: Yeah, our car has been good. I mean, we didn’t roll off the best, but I think we made some really good changes, just kept improving. We had enough for the Fast 6. Yeah, we should have been in the Fast 6, so…
Kind of sucks to get hosed by a very odd call. I’m still seeking for answers. But, yeah.
THE MODERATOR: Josef Newgarden, congratulations on the pole position. Tell us about your qualifying session today.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I wish we didn’t lose that the last couple weekends. That would have been nice to have that mojo. It’s really what’s done our fate in for this weekend, is just not qualifying well. It’s nice to have that back.
We’ve had a fast car this weekend. Actually like we started a little bit slower. It’s been kind of the opposite the last two weekends where we started really quick, then for whatever reason we just fade and don’t get it right on the day when it counts.
Really proud of the team. Felt like our car was good from the start. Just needed the track grip to come up. The more grip we had, the better I felt our car was. Yeah, pretty happy for our whole team, especially Gavin, all the boys on the car, Hitachi, Team Chevy.
Got one goal accomplished for the weekend. Hopefully we can finish things off tomorrow and have a clean day. Staying alive, man, for now.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. Josef, you got out of the car excited, a couple of expletives doing the photography stuff. How excited are you to cut the gap, even if it is just a bonus point?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: You should hear Dixon, he’s way worse. They call him The Iceman, this guy. Dropping fire (laughter).
Yeah, I was pumped. We’ve had a guy roaming around here all weekend that’s just been yelling, like in excitement.
PATO O’WARD: White shirt? Redhead, beard?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Dude, he has jacked me up. I just heard him the entire qualifying session. I tried to embody him as I got out of the car. I think I successfully did that. I apologize if anyone heard any of that. But I was pretty excited.
It’s been a hard couple of weeks, like it said. The last couple qualifyings have been demoralizing. To bounce back and show our form is very gratifying. Very pleased for our team and that’s what we saw.
Q. What did he yell?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: What does he yell, Pato?
PATO O’WARD: No, I’m going to get in trouble (laughter).
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: He’s so loud. You can’t miss this person. He’s great. I wanted him in our pit box. I meant to tell him that. I forgot to tell him before qualifying.
He’s awesome, though. Don’t get rid of him.
Q. Is he an INDYCAR fan?
PATO O’WARD: Some guy just goes around screaming.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: He’s knowledgeable. The guy is a fan. He’s not just some crazy person that lives around here. He’s a real fan.
PATO O’WARD: I think he’s had a tattoo of Will Power on his forearm.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: 07 Will Power race car on his forearm, massive. He loves it. Will took a video of him earlier in the week. You have to find this guy.
Q. Have you seen him previously at Long Beach?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I don’t remember him. I’ll remember it now.
Q. This race being in September for the first time, two days to absorb it, how does it feel? Different from the April race?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I mean, not to me. It’s great to be back. I don’t know, now that you’re here in the space, it feels like normal Long Beach in a lot of ways. Definitely missed this track, missed the crowd, missed the energy. Feels like it hasn’t really dipped, to be quite honest, coming back two years later, which is really great to see.
Excited to be here. Excited that hopefully we’ll be back in April, no problems as well next year. It’s just a classic. You can’t not go to Long Beach on the year. It’s something you’d miss if we weren’t here. It’s nice to be here.
Q. Would it make sense for INDYCAR to look at street races to finish things out?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I would agree. Also just being in L.A., it’s a great market to end the year. I think that adds an element to it that should probably be talked about.
There’s a lot that goes into it, right? There’s so many other logistics, other variables to consider. Yeah, if you’re looking at it from a pure excitement standpoint, to Scott’s point, it’s interesting. It adds an element of chaos sometimes which can be very exhilarating.
It can probably be worrisome if you’re leading the points, like if you’re an Alex in this situation it’s tough. If you’re a Pato in this situation, it’s encouraging because something maybe can happen, right, that you can’t plan for. I like it from that standpoint.
I would also agree, an oval is fun, too. Iowa would be super crazy, but probably not the right place to end the year.
Q. (No microphone.)
PATO O’WARD: I love Iowa. I’m so excited we’re going back.
Q. Pato, obviously you were able to see Felix’s data. What is the explanation you’ve had for the reason why the other cars weren’t penalized and Ed was the only one?
PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I mean, really, really happy for Felix, that he went into the Fast 6. I mean, we’re in the same team and we have literal data that shows that at least two of the cars that didn’t get penalized kept going quickly in the yellow flag. I don’t know. Maybe rules don’t apply the last race of the season when everything’s at stake.
It just sucks. Sucks that we’re stuck there because we should have transferred. We had the car to fight it. I don’t know if for pole, but we definitely had a car to be in the Fast 6 and start within the first two rows.
Q. You’ve not been given an explanation?
PATO O’WARD: I’m still waiting on the explanation, just like you and everybody else. But doubt I’ll get an explanation.
Q. Pato, we’ve seen a few people have trouble getting into the walls, trouble staying on track. You brushed against the wall once. How do you balance risk versus reward on a tough track like this?
PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I don’t know. I think you can’t get too greedy because it will bite. It will for sure bite you. I think as we saw today, not sure where Colton was, but for me he was the guy to beat for sure for pole. Yeah, like I said, when you get too greedy in places like this, they will bite. You just have to kind of find the fine line without damaging your car too bad, I guess.
Q. You didn’t get any damage?
PATO O’WARD: No, yeah, I gave an exit of turn four a little smooch. I just bent the tow link, then they fix.
Q. Is pole more important here than at some other tracks? Does that help you stay out of trouble?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I mean, it never hurts, right? I think they’re important at all tracks just from that standpoint. It puts you in the best position to kind of control the start in the race, stay out of any mishaps.
But INDYCAR these days is unpredictable. You can start up front and it can flip pretty quickly. We haven’t seen as much of that this year. Looking at the statistics, probably starting up front is good.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I just jinxed it. It will flip now (laughter).
I hope it doesn’t. So far this year starting up front has been what looks like pretty important. Yeah, hopefully that bodes well for tomorrow.
Q. Josef, you said it’s been a tough couple of quallies. Does your race engineer Gavin give you any words of inspiration from qualifying or the start of the Fast 6?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: We have these fun things that we do. He’s got a pre-event report that he always does, and I love to read it. He puts inspirational quotes at the top page. In this case he just put three pole winning photos. I was laughing with him on Friday. I was like, Well, at least we know how to do it, right? Literally it feels like we forgot how to do our job the last couple weeks.
Yeah, that’s the inspiration he gave me, was let’s just go do what we normally do. Somehow it worked out. Pretty pumped on that.
Q. When the Fast 6 got started, did you know Pato and Alex were out? How did that play into your mindset?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I saw where they were. I was kind of hoping they’d be a little further back. They got well within the top 10 there. It’s good, but they weren’t in the Fast 6, which is positive for our outlook. But we still had a job to do so I was just kind of focused on what we were going to do in the Fast 6.
Q. Pato, you said last weekend in Laguna after the race that you were in the championship hunt but you never felt like you had the car to beat the whole weekend. Do you feel like you have a really good car this weekend? Seeing how you were angry about not being in the Fast 6, seems like you have a pretty good shot at it.
PATO O’WARD: We definitely have a better car than what we’ve had, at least last weekend. Yeah, happy about that. I think the guys have done a great job in being efficient with changes, just working together to make everything just go a little bit better.
But, yeah, I mean, it’s hard to say. There’s a lot of really quick cars out there. We’ve got champions in the front, people that know how to win races, people that know how to win championships.
Yeah, it won’t be easy. But we’re definitely going to send it tomorrow.
Q. Seeing how St. Pete went last year, do you feel we can have the same thing tomorrow in Long Beach? Does it give you a good feeling?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It’s impossible to predict honestly. You try and predict these races and it does the opposite, to Scott’s point a second ago, saying I might have jinxed it. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I really don’t.
Alex has been extremely strong. I think if he sticks to his program, he should be in good shape. He’s been very resilient this year and done a tremendous job. Really the same with Pato. I don’t see him make a lot of mistakes, he’s always a charger.
If they have a normal day, I don’t expect too much craziness to happen. But like I said, it’s unpredictable. You just don’t know in these events. We’ll see what we get tomorrow.
Q. You’ve always expressed a great deal of confidence with the Arrow McLaren SP team since you first joined them. Did you know all along this season that you would end up in the top three for the championship?
PATO O’WARD: For sure that was the goal. Last year we finished fourth, so the goal just starting off on the season was definitely to not be fourth, to be at least third, then maybe a bit better.
Yeah, I mean, we can still finish there. We’re sitting second right now. At least from where I’m at, it’s really tight. We need to have a good race tomorrow to try to secure second. We just need to monitor where Alex is and see if we should really risk it to go for a win or not if we have a chance, or just try and save second, which is where we are.
Q. Josef , there’s three Chevys and three Hondas in the top six. Talk about how important it is at this race to get that win. Have you noticed, is there a difference in drivability off the corner at top speed or something you’ve seen where you have a bit of an advantage?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: We all want to have a good end to our championship regardless. As a team, as a manufacturer, as a competitor, you want to end the year on a high note. We’re all pushing for a good result tomorrow.
There’s definitely differences I think between the two brands. I think for us, very pleased with our reliability, our fuel mileage, certainly our power that we’re able to create.
I think there’s definitely differences between the two, the way the cars get off the corner, you can see visual differences between the two manufacturers. I’m happy to be a Chevy guy. I think they’ve backed every one of my wins in INDYCAR, have been still doing a stellar job for us this year.
Q. For the Firestone reds, what do you think is going to be the dropoff?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I’ll do what he does. See what happens.
Q. Josef, you have a big mountain to climb to winning the championship. Is it liberating to know the only way you can get this thing if you get all the points, bonus points, win the race, not worry about anything anybody else does?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I feel like I’m nearly dead. Just put me out of my misery at this point.
But we’re, like, clinging to life. It’s a little bit, I don’t know, a hard place to be. We were in a similar situation last year. I just wish we were in a closer striking distance to Scott. We’re even worse than that this season. We’re just in it.
Not much more to think about than trying to just go win the race. We did that last year at St. Pete. We approached it with let’s focus on ourselves, try to win the race, see what happens. We’ll do the same tomorrow and see where everything lands at the end of the day.
Q. Josef, can you go into a little bit of detail about what went wrong in the last three qualifyings. Was it the same thing each time?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: No. Laguna was probably the most confusing. I felt like we had the car to beat going into Laguna. It just unraveled oddly on Saturday morning when we put red tires on. Not a hundred percent sure what took place there.
I think Portland we just got behind. It was sort of self-inflicting. We made, yeah — just didn’t keep up with the track, didn’t put it together. That happens at Portland. It’s so tight there, if you do that, you can get bounced out pretty quickly. That was more easy to understand, but no less difficult to realize.
I think it was probably a combination of things at the GP weekend. But you just can’t have that. When you have 28 cars in the championship now, I mean, you can’t start back in 17th, 18th. It’s going to kill your day, especially when there’s nothing that happens in the race to help you. You’re really banking on at least some help somewhere to vault you to the top three.
We can fight to fifth or seventh, that’s what we did, but to do much more than that you have to have an extraordinary day. Those are just really hard to come by nowadays with the parity in the series.
Yeah, I don’t know. The last two weekends were really, really odd. I’m so pleased to go into this off-season with something more normal and just feeling a little bit better about going into ’22.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Year-By-Year Results since 2012
2021 ­– 6 wins, 7 poles in 15 races
Wins – Pato O’Ward (Texas2, Detroit2); Rinus VeeKay (Indy RC1); Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio, St. Louis); Will Power (Indy RC2). Pole – Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park, Detroit1, Indy RC2); Josef Newgarden (Detroit2, Road America, Mid-Ohio); Will Power (St. Louis).
2020 – 7 wins, 11 poles in 14 races
Wins – Simon Pagenaud (Iowa1); Josef Newgarden (Iowa2, St. Louis2, Indy RC2, St. Petersburg); Will Power (Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3, St. Petersburg). Poles – Josef Newgarden (Texas, Road America1, Iowa2), Will Power (Indianapolis road course, St. Louis1, Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3; St. Petersburg), Pato O’Ward (Road America2), Conor Daly (Iowa1), Rinus VeeKay (Indy road course October)
2019 – 9 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Driver/owner championship (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske); Indianapolis 500 win (Simon Pagenaud)
2018 – 6 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Indianapolis 500 win (Will Power)
2017 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 17 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske)
2016 – 14 wins, 13 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Simon Pagenaud/Roger Penske)
2015 – 10 wins, 16 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Scott Dixon/Chip Ganassi);
Indianapolis 500 win (Juan Pablo Montoya). First manufacturer to capture all titles since Chevrolet returned to INDYCAR in 2012
2014 – 12 wins, 14 poles in 18 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Will Power/Roger Penske)
2013 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 19 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; Indianapolis 500 win (Tony Kanaan)
2012 – 11 wins, 10 poles in 15 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Ryan Hunter-Reay/Michael Andretti)
Total – 95 wins, 106 earned poles in 164 races

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Friday, Sept. 24, 2021) – The good – and quick – times keep rolling for Colton Herta.

California native Herta led the opening practice for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Friday, turning a top lap of 1 minute, 9.2680 seconds in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit. That speed came after Herta won the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey from the NTT P1 Award position last Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

Simon Pagenaud was second quickest at 1:09.4334 in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet despite entering the runoff area in Turn 9 with about 10 minutes remaining in the 45-minute session.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship leader Alex Palou started with authority what could be a title-clinching weekend at the season finale, ending up third at 1:09.4554 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Second-year series driver Palou never has raced at Long Beach, as last year’s race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a good session,” Palou said. “I like the track. It was all about getting to know the track and see how that No. 10 NTT DATA car was handling. I’m comfortable and ready to push tomorrow.”

Saturday’s action includes another 45-minute practice at noon (ET), followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 3:05 p.m. (ET).

The 85-lap race is Sunday, with live coverage starting at 3 p.m. (ET) on NBCSN and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Palou must finish 11th or better to clinch his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.

Felix Rosenqvist will look this weekend to rebound from a tough season after posting the fourth-quickest time in practice, 1:09.4870 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. Ryan Hunter-Reay joined teammate Herta in the top five, ending up fifth at 1:09.5154 in the No. 28 DHL Honda to start his final event with Andretti Autosport after 12 seasons with the team. Rookie of the Year contender Romain Grosjean was named as the driver of the No. 28 car for the 2022 season earlier Friday.

While Rosenqvist found speed, his championship-contending teammate Pato O’Ward struggled in practice. O’Ward is second in the championship standings, 35 points behind Palou. But he ended up 16th in the 28-car field at 1:10.2451 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

“We need to work,” an agitated O’Ward said after the session. “We just need to sort something out, find time.”

The third title contender, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, was 10th at 1:09.8557 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden spun early in the session after losing traction while running over a bump entering Turn 9, but he continued without damage to his car.

Newgarden is 48 points behind Palou in third and must win the NTT P1 Award, race and lead the most laps while Palou finishes 25th or worse to have a chance to pull off an improbable title charge.

North America’s Premier Open-Wheel Racing Series Taking Stewardship of Legendary Support Program

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Sept. 24, 2021) – As part of today’s Penske Entertainment Corp. Year in Review News Conference in Long Beach, California, PEC President and CEO Mark Miles announced that INDYCAR and Andersen Promotions Owner and CEO Dan Andersen have agreed that INDYCAR will become the sanctioning body and promoter of the Indy Lights series after the 2021 season.

Indy Lights is the final step on the successful Road to Indy ladder system that develops drivers and teams to compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Cooper Tires will continue as a trusted partner for the Road to Indy and provide tires for all three developmental series.

“For many years, Dan Andersen has been integral to the success of Indy Lights,” Miles said. “His leadership since his group took over promotion in 2014 was crucial. However, with the Penske acquisition of INDYCAR, we have an opportunity to bring the series in-house, which we think can provide greater opportunity for the growth of the top level of the ladder series.”

Over its 35-year history, Indy Lights has provided an excellent pipeline for open-wheel’s future stars. Paul Tracy, Cristiano da Matta, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden are former Indy Lights champions who have gone on to become INDYCAR SERIES champions. Currently, 20 drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES are Indy Lights graduates, including rising stars and 2021 race winners Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward and Rinus VeeKay. 2019 Indy Lights champion Oliver Askew found success in each of Andersen Promotions’ Road to Indy programs (Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, and USF2000) and is among the eight former champions who have joined the bold and daring athletes of the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Andersen Promotions will continue stewardship of Indy Pro 2000 and USF2000.

“It has been our pleasure and honor to oversee the promotion and organization of Indy Lights for these past eight seasons,” Andersen said. “We are proud of the results demonstrated by the quick success of our many recent graduates. The Road to Indy works as a training program, and we will continue to develop young drivers and move them up to Indy Lights and, ultimately, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.”

In recent years, there have been many inspiring and successful stories of growing Indy Lights teams that have groomed drivers and crew members for the elite level of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. This season, Juncos Hollinger Racing joins Carlin, Andretti Autosport and Arrow McLaren SP as INDYCAR SERIES teams that have competed in Indy Lights.

“It is about strengthening the pipeline to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Miles said. “We want to grow Indy Lights into an even stronger link and final step for drivers, teams and sponsor partners leading to the most audacious and competitive open-wheel series on the planet.”

The 2022 Indy Lights schedule and remaining details will be released at a later date.