Team Penske IndyCar Series Race Report - Texas

June 9, 2019

Track:    Texas Motor Speedway
Race:     DXC Technology 600
Date:     June 8, 2019

No. 2 Fitzgerald USA Dallara/Chevrolet – Josef Newgarden
Start: 7th
Finish: 1st
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 248/248
Laps Led: 54
Points Position: 1st (+25 pts)

Notes:

• A sizzling weekend at Texas Motor Speedway ended with a victory lane celebration under fire for Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 Fitzgerald USA Dallara/Chevrolet team Saturday night for Newgarden's first win at the speedway.
• After starting in the seventh position, Newgarden fell to the 10th spot in the opening laps of the IndyCar Series DXC Technology 600 before the team made their first pit stop of the night 59 laps into the race. With a quick stop, the No. 2 Chevrolet team cycled up to seventh and were on the hunt to advance their track position early in the night.
• Fighting understeer while in traffic, Newgarden maintained the seventh position until green flag pit stops on lap 122. Down to eighth, Newgarden was still noting handling issues when a caution fell on lap 138. Race strategist Tim Cindric made a race-changing call from the box and brought the Tennessean down pit road for four tires, fuel and a front wing adjustment - losing just one spot on the pit stop but gaining a vital fuel advantage on the field.
• As the leaders came down pit road under green 50 laps later, Newgarden was able to stay out and take the lead. The current IndyCar Series championship points leader made one final stop on lap 198 and continued to hold the lead after stops cycled through.
• With two late-race cautions falling with the potential to shake up the results, Newgarden was able to stay out front for both restarts. The final 10 laps found Newgarden battling with another championship-contender Alexander Rossi, with the No. 2 Chevy prevailing to the finish.
• Newgarden continues to lead the IndyCar Series point standings by 25 points over Rossi.

Quote:  
"It's these guys (on the crew), man, they keep putting me out front (and) I'm just trying to get it done at the end. How about this Fitzgerald car; it looked good. It was good to have the Fitzgeralds here tonight. I knew we had a rocket ship and it was all about getting in the front. We were better in the front than we were in the back. We knew if we could get some position we would be OK. Team Chevy doing a great job for us. A good day to capitalize on some points. These guys put me in position so it's all up to them. (Last restart) He was fast. Honestly, he ran a great race. Both him and Dixon ran me really fair at the end. It was hard to get away on the restart; that was my biggest concern was getting a jump getting going again. (Rossi) was good, man, he was just hard to hold off. He was so good in dirty air. I saw him earlier in the race and how good he was behind people. I knew it was going to be tough, really tough, but you saw the speed I had on the front stretch to hold him off, so thanks to Team Chevy. It was a good day in Texas, man. I'm glad we finally figured this place out. It's been a while. (Biggest track you've won on) You know, we've been close here before, not necessarily at the end of the race. I know we've had good cars here before and have not been able to make it happen and one thing happens or another. To just finally figure it out has been great."

 
No. 12 Verizon Dallara/Chevrolet – Will Power
Start: 15th
Finish: 9th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 247/248
Laps Led: 0
Points Position: 6th (-113 pts)
 
Notes:

• Will Power and the No. 12 Verizon Dallara/Chevrolet had a trying race under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway's Saturday night race as the team ended the event running ninth.
• After a miscue in qualifying, Power started the event in the in the 15th position with a plan to charge through the field.
• After 47 laps, Power's race strategist Roger Penske said over the radio that the car could be off balance and may require a front wing adjustment when they are able to make a pit stop. The team then decided to make a front wing adjustment when Power returned his Chevrolet to the pits on lap 59.
• As the field cycled through pit stops, Power found himself running in the fifth position on lap 193 – one the highest track positions he would be able to maintain during the event.
• With an opportunity to garner tires and fuel on lap 223 while under caution, the team had hoped he would be able to make another charge for the lead following the restart.
• Ultimately, Power and the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet team settled for a ninth-place finish allowing him to maintain the sixth position in IndyCar Series championship point standings.
• The team plans to take advantage of an off weekend by working on the car in the shop as much as possible prior to the series' next race at Road America.

Quote:  
"It was kind of a frustrating night. It was totally a track position race and I pushed up high in the beginning of the first stint and that was it. I got stuck in traffic and just never got our lap back. Ninth was actually a reasonable finish after such a bad run there. We'll take the Verizon Chevy back to the shop and be ready for Road America in a couple weeks."
  

No. 22 DXC Technology Dallara/Chevrolet – Simon Pagenaud
Start: 5th
Finish: 6th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 248/248
Laps Led: 0
Points Position: 3rd (-48 pts)
 
Notes:

• Simon Pagenaud and the No. 22 DXC Technology Dallara/Chevrolet team continued to show their consistency this season finishing sixth at Texas Motor Speedway's Saturday night race - allowing them to maintain the third position in IndyCar Series championship point standings.
• The team's first pit stop of the evening on lap 59 saw the No. 22 DXC Technology Chevrolet taking fuel and tires in an effort to move through the field.
• On lap 122, Pagenaud returned to the pits in an effort to correct an understeer issue by taking tires, fuel and receiving a front wing adjustment.
• By lap 208, the 2019 Indianapolis 500 champion found himself in the sixth position where he would remain until the checkered flag waved.
• With an off-weekend approaching, the team plans to work on their road course program in advance of the series' next race at Road America.

  
Quote:  
"It was definitely an interesting race. There was a lot of fuel saving tonight. We had the speed, we just had to save a lot of fuel to play the strategy game. I think obviously the crew did a fantastic job with the DXC Technology Chevrolet in pit lane all night as usual. The strategy was good. At the end we were sitting third and I think that's really where we should have ended up. I made a little mistake on the restart, I thought I had a right rear puncture and ended up finishing sixth. That's the part I'm disappointed about but otherwise it was a great day. It was a good points day considering what happened. It's always such an attrition race here and leaving third in points, halfway to the championship, is really comfortable and really good. We'll keep on rolling. Thanks to DXC Technology this weekend for an awesome activation and great experience for the fans."