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Hy-Vee Homefront 250
Newton, Iowa
July 13, 2024

JOSEF NEWGARDEN No. 2 ASTEMO CHEVROLET

START: 22ND  
FINISH: 3RD  
POINTS: 9TH (-115)
 

RACE RUNDOWN: Josef Newgarden's winning streak at Iowa Speedway may have come to an end on Saturday night, but his drive from a 22nd-place starting position to the podium in the No. 2 Astemo Chevrolet easily made him the biggest mover of the race. A six-time winner on the 7/8-mile oval, Newgarden tied his career-worst Iowa starting position for the first race of the Hy-Vee Race Weekend during the Saturday afternoon qualifying session. When the green flag fell to start the 250-lap event, Newgarden began to methodically make his way through the field, gaining nine positions in the first 50 laps. The newly paved corners at Iowa placed extra emphasis on the action on pit lane, and Newgarden's No. 2 Astemo team consistently propelled him forward as they gained their driver a total of seven positions in two pit stops. The final stop of the day placed Newgarden fourth in the running order with 69 laps remaining. Throughout a chaotic final stint, Newgarden was able to maintain his position before moving past the No. 9 of Scott Dixon to finish in the third position. 

NEWGARDEN'S THOUGHTS: "It was a good race. I think we ran out of time and a little bit of racetrack tonight. It's always great being here at Iowa. I absolutely love this track. It's always been good for us in INDYCAR. I love coming to Des Moines to visit, and we've got people coming from all over to watch this race. I hate that we came up short with the Astemo Chevrolet, but you can't start 22nd on a night like tonight. I'm disappointed but Scott (McLaughlin) did a great job. Still a Team (Penske) victory. We fought all the way to the end. We got to third, and the good news is tomorrow we start a little bit higher. Hopefully we can get there to the top step tomorrow." 

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN No. 3 XPEL CHEVROLET

START: 2ND  
FINISH: 1ST 
POINTS: 5TH (-59)
 

RACE RUNDOWN: On Scott McLaughlin's list of goals heading into the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season was winning on an oval. Oval racing is still a newer discipline to the former Australian Supercars Champion. That goal can now be crossed off as McLaughlin took the checkered flag in Saturday night's Hy-Vee Homefront 250 at Iowa Speedway. McLaughlin - the pole winner for the second race of the doubleheader weekend on Sunday morning - nearly swept both pole positions before starting Saturday's race from the second position. He kept his No. 3 XPEL Chevrolet in second until the first pit stop of the night when he just nipped the No. 26 of race leader Colton Herta on the exit of pit lane. He would never look back, building a lead of over four seconds before having to endure several late-race cautions despite never being truly pressured for the win. The win is McLaughlin's sixth in the INDYCAR SERIES and his second of the season along with his win at Barber Motorsports Park in April. It is the New Zealander's 54 win for Team Penske, maintaining third place on the team's all-time list. 

MCLAUGHLIN'S THOUGHTS: "The XPEL Chevy was unreal and what got it done tonight was the pit stops by the team. Got me out in front of (Colton) Herta there and we showed our pace. That is a big deal today and we have been working on that for a couple of years.  It takes a lot of hard work, and I got bit by this place for a couple of years and it stung.  I am really stoked for this whole team and for the whole team at Penske and give it another race tomorrow and we start on pole.  So, let's go again."

WILL POWER No. 12 VERIZON CHEVROLET

START: 4TH 
FINISH: 18TH 
POINTS: 3RD (-43)
 

RACE RUNDOWN: Will Power endured a tough night that included two penalties on the way to a 18th-place finish in Saturday's Hy-Vee Homefront 250 at Iowa Speedway. A solid qualifying effort prior to the 250-lap event saw Power start from the fourth position. After dropping two spots over the opening laps, Power settled quickly into the sixth position. The two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion brought his No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet to pit lane for the first time on Lap 84, pitting from the fifth position. Unfortunately, Power was caught speeding during his trip and was forced to serve a pass-through penalty when the racing action resumed, one lap down to the leaders. He would take the wave around under a Lap 150 caution before making his way to pit lane for the final time and restarting in the back of the field. Trying to salvage a decent day and maximize his points garnered, Power was penalized a second time for a Lap 229 incident with Pietro Fittipaldi. With only a few laps remaining when he got back up to speed, Power could only muster a 22nd-place finish. 

POWER'S THOUGHTS: "Just a tough day for the No. 12 Verizon Chevy team. I was really happy with the car and we weren't seeing a crazy amount of tire wear, but two penalties like that cannot happen in a two-stop race."

The second race of the Hy-Vee Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway takes place tomorrow on NBC beginning at 12:00 pm ET.