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IndyCar: Josef Newgarden tops first 2019 Iowa practice session

By Asher Fair

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Josef Newgarden, driver of the #1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet prepares to drive during Carb Day for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 25, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 25: Josef Newgarden, driver of the #1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet prepares to drive during Carb Day for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 25, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Josef Newgarden topped the speed chart in the first of two practice sessions for the 2019 IndyCar season’s 12th race, the Iowa 300, at Iowa Speedway.

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden topped the speed chart in the opening practice session at Iowa Speedway for the 17-race 2019 IndyCar season’s 12th race, the Iowa 300.

Newgarden topped the speed chart in this practice session by recording a top lap time of 17.8691 seconds (179.8381 miles per hour) around the four-turn, 0.894-mile (1.439-kilometer) Iowa Speedway oval in Newton, Iowa in his #2 Chevrolet.

The 2016 winner at Iowa Speedway led a top three Team Penske sweep of the speed chart in this practice session, as Simon Pagenaud finished in second place in his #22 Chevrolet ahead of Will Power in third in his #12 Chevrolet.

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Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi was the highest finishing non-Team Penske driver of this practice session and the highest finishing Honda driver of this practice session. He finished in fourth place in his #27 Honda.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon finished in fifth place in his #9 Honda and Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay finished in sixth in his #28 Honda. A.J. Foyt Enterprises’ Tony Kanaan was the highest finishing non-Team Penske Chevrolet driver in this practice session. He finished in seventh in his #14 Chevrolet.

Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports’ James Hinchcliffe, two-time and reigning winner at Iowa Speedway, finished in eighth place in his #5 Honda. Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Felix Rosenqvist and Andretti Autosport’s Zach Veach rounded out the top 10 on the speed chart in this practice session by finishing in ninth and 10th in their #10 Honda and #26 Honda, respectively.

Just 1.0090 seconds (9.598 miles per hour) separated Newgarden in first place from A.J. Foyt Enterprises’ Matheus Leist in last (22nd) on the speed chart.

Here are the full practice results of the opening practice session for the 2019 Iowa 300 at Iowa Speedway.

Practice Results
1st – Josef Newgarden
2nd – Simon Pagenaud
3rd – Will Power
4th – Alexander Rossi
5th – Scott Dixon
6th – Ryan Hunter-Reay
7th – Tony Kanaan
8th – James Hinchcliffe
9th – Felix Rosenqvist
10th – Zach Veach
11th – Marcus Ericsson
12th – Santino Ferrucci
13th – Sebastien Bourdais
14th – Takuma Sato
15th – Ed Carpenter
16th – Spencer Pigot
17th – Graham Rahal
18th – Sage Karam
19th – Colton Herta
20th – Conor Daly
21st – Marco Andretti
22nd – Matheus Leist

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Qualifying for the Iowa 300 is scheduled to begin at 2:15 p.m. ET, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET. The second and final practice session for the 2019 IndyCar season’s 12th race is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Gold. The race itself is scheduled to begin tomorrow evening at 7:10 p.m. ET, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.