Newgarden wins in St Petersburg, McLaughlin third

Newgarden had qualified the #2 Chevrolet on pole position and was the effective leader for all but a handful of laps after his first stop, under the first of three Cautions in the 100-lapper.

McLaughlin and Power made incremental progress from deep in the top 10, with only the McLaren IndyCar Team’s Pato O’Ward preventing a Penske podium sweep, and that was a close-run thing in the end.

O’Ward did also contribute to a Chevrolet a top four sweep, with Andretti Global’s Colton Herta first Honda driver home in fifth, ahead of 2023 champion Alex Palou in the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda from 13th on the grid.

Scott Dixon finished ninth in the #9 CGR Honda but team-mate and fellow New Zealander Marcus Armstrong crashed Car #11.

Back at the start, Newgarden led the field away from Felix Rosenqvist (#60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda) and Herta (#26 Andretti w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda), with those two being the only drivers in the top 10 starting on the ‘green’ alternate tyres.

O’Ward (#5 McLaren Chevrolet) slotted into fourth, from Marcus Ericsson (#28 Andretti Global Honda) and McLaughlin (#3 Chevrolet), who gained three positions with a big dive at the first corner.

Rinus VeeKay (#21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet) ran seventh from Romain Grosjean (#77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet), Power (#12 Chevrolet), Armstrong, and Scott Dixon (#9 CGR Honda) on greens.

Christian Lundgaard (#45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda) was back to the pits straight away with a flat right-rear tyre, with replays suggesting contact from Palou at Turn 4 was the cause.

Palou sat 13th, matching where he had qualified, while Newgarden crept out to a one-second lead on Lap 9, and two seconds on Lap 26.

A Caution was called on Lap 27 when Ericsson crashed out of 10th position at the exit of Turn 10.

All pitted except Lundgaard, but Newgarden lost two positions in the lane due to a slow stop.

Rosenqvist (blacks) resumed in the effective lead in second position, from Herta (blacks), Newgarden (greens), O’Ward (greens), McLaughlin (blacks), Ericsson (greens), Power (blacks), Dixon (blacks), and VeeKay (greens).

The restart came on Lap 31 and VeeKay passed Dixon at Turn 1, before Newgarden got Herta for an effective second place at Turn 4.

O’Ward and McLaughlin also cleared Herta by the end of the restart lap and then Newgarden used his grip advantage to pass Rosenqvist for the effective lead at Turn 1 on Lap 33.

O’Ward also went under Car #60 three corners later, where, a little further back, VeeKay used his greens to outbrake Power.

Another Caution came on Lap 35 when Sting Ray Robb (#41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet) became stranded in the Turn 1 run-off area, during which Lundgaard pitted and Newgarden resumed the lead, from O’Ward, Rosenqvist, McLaughlin, Herta, Ericsson, VeeKay, Power, Dixon, and Grosjean.

The green flag came on Lap 39 and Newgarden’s lead was a full second again on Lap 42.

Ericsson was still sixth when he pitted on Lap 52 and the engine cover came off the #28 Honda, meaning Power’s move on VeeKay on Lap 60 at Turn 10 was for sixth position, and Dixon’s on Lap 63 at Turn 1 for seventh.

Grosjean and Alexander Rossi (#7 McLaren Chevrolet) kicked off the second pit stop cycle on Lap 64 and that forced the front-runners’ hands.

Newgarden had gapped O’Ward by four seconds when those two, plus Rosenqvist and McLaughlin, stopped on Lap 65, then Herta, Power, and Dixon on Lap 66.

Herta jumped Rosenqvist and McLaughlin in the cycle, then McLaughlin went down the inside of the Swede for fourth at Turn 10 on Lap 68 in a battle of green tyres versus blacks.

A Caution was called on Lap 69 after Grosjean tagged Linus Lundqvist (#8 CGR Honda) into the barriers at Turn 10.

Under yellows, Newgarden led O’Ward, Herta, McLaughlin as first on greens, Rosenqvist, Power (greens), Palou (greens), Rossi, Dixon (blacks), and VeeKay (blacks).

Restart 3 came on Lap 73, at which point McLaughlin and Power used their greens to dive past Herta and Rosenqvist respectively at Turn 10.

It was Penske Chevrolets first, third, and fourth once Power picked off Herta at Turn 1 on Lap 74, before Palou did likewise to Rosenqvist for sixth on Lap 76.

By then, Grosjean had served a penalty for the Lundqvist incident.

Newgarden was two seconds up on O’Ward on Lap 80 as McLaughlin turned the wick up in pursuit of the McLaren entry.

The Kiwi reduced the margin to less than half a second before the Mexican responded, and then Power emerged as a threat to McLaughlin.

Newgarden had pulled a full seven seconds to the good with less than five laps remaining.

By then, both McLaughlin and Power were stalking O’Ward, but Herta and Palou were looming in their mirrors at less than a second back.

Newgarden won by 7.9121s over O’Ward in the end, with McLaughlin only a further 0.5456s back in third.

Behind Power, Herta, and Palou was Rosenqvist in seventh, from Rossi, Dixon, and VeeKay.

Next up is the non-championship $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club on March 22-24 (local time).

Results: Race, Streets of St Petersburg

Race winner: 100 laps

Series points