©IndyCar
Josef Newgarden joined the immortals Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by becoming just the sixth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in two consecutive years, edging Pato O’Ward in a scintillating race that was delayed by four hours by a midday rainstorm.
The two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES championand Team Penske charger Newgarden crossed the checkered flag with 0.3417 margin over Arrow McLaren’s O’Ward as they swapped the lead four times over the last eight laps in a nail-biting finale delivered to the Speedway’s 330,000 fans.
Newgarden, who started third, became the first repeat winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” since Helio Castroneves won in 2001 and 2002 for Team Penske.
The 33-year-old also offered Team Penske its record-extending 20th victory in the Indy 500.
And for good measure, the repeat win delivered a $440,000 bonus to Newgarden from BorgWarner, the sponsor of the winner’s famous Borg-Warner Trophy.
When the white flag signaled the final lap, O'Ward launched a daring outside pass on his rival and clung to the lead through Turns 1 and 2, pulling away down the back straight.
But Newgarden wasn't done yet. In a breathtaking display of racecraft, he tucked his car right behind O'Ward and then, with a surge of power, lunged past on the outside in Turn 3.
The crowd held its breath before exploding in a roar as the Penske charger snatched the lead, securing a dramatic victory for the ages.
“I knew we could win this race again,” Newgarden said. “There’s just no better way to win this race than that. I’ve got to give it up to Pato, as well. He’s an incredibly clean driver. It takes two people to make that work.”
