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McLaughlin apportioned the blame on his teammate Josef Newgarden, who he said launched late when the green flag dropped.
McLaughlin in the #3, who was immediately behind race leader Newgarden, made light contact with the preceding #2.
Herta in the #26 appeared to get on and off the throttle in anticipation of the start. Meanwhile, #12 pilot Power was rear-ended by Alexander Rossi of McLaren in the #7.
Newgarden was cleared of any wrongdoing by IndyCar officials who said he maintained his speed despite suggestions otherwise from Power and Andretti Global’s Colton Herta.
There has been a lot of consternation within the IndyCar paddock over race restarts in recent years. McLaughlin has been vocal in calling out drivers who he claimed jumped early.
McLaughlin said it was less about claims of speeding up and slowing down through the final turn but for going late when the green flag waved.
“Firstly, the rules have changed a lot this year,” said McLaughlin.
THEY WRECK ON THE RESTART!
The red flag is out at @WWTRaceway.
📺: #Bommarito500 on USA and Peacock pic.twitter.com/kychxIEmbE
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 18, 2024
“They were probably a bit lenient on jump-starts, whatnot, people getting runs before green flag.
“I guess my strategy all year in some ways has been to be as close as I can to the car in front.
“Most people are like that because you’re limiting the concertina effect that you have. I was right up Josef’s gearbox.
“It’s not up to me to review. It’s an IndyCar thing. Personally I think he [Newgarden] restarted very late. That was probably more the problem.
“I just wish we did a restart like we did on the last restart because I think we potentially could have had a first, second, third for the team, or first, second, fourth
“It’s not up to me to judge that. From my perspective, it didn’t need to happen. But I’m also not driving the 2 car, and no one else is but him.
“Ultimately we all make decisions. He thought that was the right restart to make.
“It sucks for everyone behind us. He got the win. Doesn’t really matter for him. Will is crashed out, and a few others. It sucks I guess for the spectacle at the end.”
How the chaos unfolded with 8 laps remaining.
📺: #Bommarito500 on USA and Peacock pic.twitter.com/IjwIB6fpjL
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 18, 2024
Newgarden admitted the restart was late but that he didn’t intend for it to cause a crash.
“It was definitely late,” he said.
“I was trying to go as late as I could. Sometimes people go really early, sometimes they go in the middle, sometimes they go kind of late, and sometimes they go really late.
“It’s not that different of a restart I’ve done before. I’ve done a lot of restarts from the front. It’s not that different from other restarts that have gone late.
“I don’t know that I’d change much. If anyone especially on our team wants to look at the data, you’re going to see a very consistent speed.”
Newgarden claimed he saw the race go green momentarily, although replays do not appear to support that theory.
What is clear is that the race went green and Power got on and then off the throttle waiting for Herta to launch.
“What looked like happened is it went green momentarily before I went, just momentarily. I’m talking like half a second or a second,” Newgarden reasoned.
“If it’s just that slight difference in timing, if race control goes green and I haven’t gone yet for just a second, I think people were trying to jump, which we’ve had a problem with, to be honest.
“We’ve had a problem with jump-starts the last two years. It’s a constant topic in the driver meeting.
“If there’s just a slight miscue there, I think people are very on edge on these restarts trying to get the run.
“It looked like it miss-timed in the back, at least with one individual, and that’s what caused a problem.
“From my side, it’s the last thing you want to happen at the end. I don’t want to create a wreck. I was not trying to do that. That was not my intention.”
Newgarden said he wouldn’t change his approach if given the opportunity again.
No penalties were delivered as a result of the accident.
“I don’t know that I’d do much different because it’s how I would do a restart,” said the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.
“I did the same speed. The next time through I just went a little sooner.
“It looked like the green going slightly early was the big miscue. That’s my take seeing it from the car, just going off live. Yeah, that’s how I saw it.”
