We don’t see this version of Josef Newgarden often.
After Palou jumped Newgarden and Herta in the first cycle of pitstops, Newgarden hit right back, turning what had been a 2.7-second deficit on Lap 55 into a car-length lead when he blended into the field after both had pitted twice. They ran side-by-side multiple times that lap and appeared to touch wheels at least once.
“I’m not wired that way,” he said. “I don’t take fuel in, where if someone says I’m not good at something, or they attack our team, or maybe I twist it and could use it as a negative towards us, I don’t use that to better myself.
Sunday was just the second time in his career Newgarden has won back-to-back races, and yet, in his 84 starts as a Team Penske driver, he’s won nearly a quarter of the time, including 19 wins and 11 2nd-place finishes. He said Sunday he aims to be more a consistent winner than a driver who eyes or capitalizes only on the biggest stages or rides the emotional ebbs and flows.