Josef Newgarden won the 2024 NTT IndyCar Season season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday (March 10), taking his 30th career win. It was absolute domination, as he led from pole and paced the field for 92 laps, giving no quarter to the rest of the field.
After an off-season in which he refocused his mental approach for race weekends, he’s off to a good start in chasing his third championship.
“I had a lot of fun today,” Newgarden said after the race. “You know Roger [Penske] was telling me, he said ‘you have a big lead, you better hold onto it, not throw it in the wall.”
Even after a first pit stop sequence cycled him from first to third behind outside pole starter Felix Rosenqvist and Colton Herta, there was little they could do to prevent the No. 2 Team Penske PPG Chevrolet from storming back up front. After a lap 31 restart, it only took two circuits for Newgarden to dispatch his two foes and position himself to resume the lead after an off-cycle car pitted.
While Newgarden dominated the race, the battle was on for who would finish second to the Team Penske driver. While Rosenqvist impressed early, even beating out Newgarden during the first pit stops under yellow, Pato O’Ward had to hold off a hungry Team Penske duo over the last stint. Scott McLaughlin and Will Power pressured the Arrow McLaren driver with quicker alternate tires after the last restart on lap 72 but O’Ward never faltered.
It was a repeat runner-up for the lead McLaren driver, who lost out on this win last year when his engine had a plenum event.
Mclaughlin finished third, followed by Power and Herta rounded out the top five. Chevy took the first four spots.
The win broke a tie with Rick Mears in career IndyCar wins at Team Penske. Newgarden now is third behind Power and Helio Castroneves.
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