At the end of a gripping tactical battle at Texas Motor Speedway, Josef Newgarden overtook Penske team mate Scott McLaughlin on the last lap, in the final corner, to win.
Newgarden was able to make the winning overtake as McLaughlin – who led 186 out of 248 laps – encountered a wave of lapped traffic ahead of him, putting his car in turbulent air. That gave Newgarden the chance to make the move around the outside in turn four, and win the race by just 0.067 seconds.
McLaughlin led the opening stint of the race after passing polesitter Felix Rosenqvist on the opening lap, but Newgarden – who started seventh – found himself in second place after the first cycle of pit stops. A string of accidents and caution flags brought the two Penske drivers together on track, with McLaughlin running ahead for much of the race, right until the final few hundred metres.
Despite being denied his second consecutive victory to open the year, McLaughlin will be consoled by leaving Texas with a 28…