Racedaynation

Our next guest is the NTT IndyCar Series points leader, Josef Newgarden, who drove to victory in the June 8 DXC Technology 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Newgarden made the strategic move of the race when Team Penske president Tim Cindric called him into the pits during a caution period on Lap 137. Running ninth at the time, but with only 11 cars running on the lead lap, Cindric believed a fresh set of Firestone tires would allow Newgarden to run faster laps than the other drivers on the track. The strategy paid off when Newgarden's laps were 218 miles per hour compared to the rest of the field running in the 208 to 210 miles per hour range. During the final round of pit stops, Newgarden's team short-filled the tank for a very quick stop and by the time the pit sequence cycled through, he was the leader on Lap 203. Newgarden led the rest of the 248-lap race, but had to fight off a fierce challenge from Alexander Rossi. It was Newgarden's first win at Texas Motor Speedway. RACEDAY's Bruce Martin caught up with