IndyCar: The massive point swing caused by Josef Newgarden heartbreak

By Asher Fair | Jun 22, 2021

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, IndyCar /

Josef Newgarden’s late gearbox issue in Sunday’s IndyCar race at Road America caused a massive swing in the championship battle.

All throughout Sunday’s REV Group Grand Prix at Road America, Josef Newgarden was the driver to beat. The driver of the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet appeared to be well on his way to his first win of the 2021 IndyCar season and his second at Road America, having also won at the track in 2018.

But on the lap 54 restart of this 55-lap race around the 14-turn, 4.048-kilometer (6.515-kilometer) natural terrain road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, his #2 Chevrolet experienced a gearbox issue.

Must Read. The Tom Brady effect takes IndyCar by storm. light

Unable to shift up, he dropped out of the lead and quickly fell backwards from there. He was forced to settle for 21st place, despite leading a race-high 32 laps and never being passed by any of the drivers who were on his pit strategy. He was effectively the leader for the entire race until there were under two laps remaining.

And that gearbox issue caused a massive swing in the championship battle.

More from IndyCar

First and foremost, it was Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, who was set to retake the lead of the championship standings from Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward even with a second place finish, who ended up going to victory lane instead of Newgarden. O’Ward finished the race in ninth instead of 10th.

Newgarden was poised to score 54 points (one for taking the pole position, one for leading at least one lap, two for leading the most laps, and 50 for the win). Instead, he scored just 13 (nine for finishing in 21st place).

Palou ended up scoring 51 points instead of 41 (he did lead laps earlier in the race by pitting later than Newgarden).

Newgarden sits in fourth place in the standings, 88 points behind Palou, 60 points behind O’Ward, and 35 points behind Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon.

Rank – Driver: Points (Behind)
1 – Alex Palou – 349 (0)
2 – Pato O’Ward – 321 (-28)
3 – Scott Dixon – 296 (-53)
4 – Josef Newgarden – 261 (-88)

Assuming Newgarden would have won the race without the issue and Palou, O’Ward and Dixon all would have finished one position behind where they actually finished, Newgarden would sit in third place, eight points ahead of Dixon and just 37 points behind Palou and 17 points behind O’Ward.

Rank – Driver: Points (Behind)
1 – Alex Palou – 339 (0)
2 – Pato O’Ward – 319 (-20)
3 – Josef Newgarden – 302 (-37)
4 – Scott Dixon – 294 (-45)

So relative to Palou, it was a net loss of 51 points for Newgarden. Relative to O’Ward and Dixon, it was a net loss of 43 points.

With just seven races remaining on the schedule, these losses, all of which are margins that are extremely challenging to make up on another driver in a single race, could prove massive.

Next. Top 25 IndyCar drivers of all-time. dark

The Honda Indy 200 is the 10th race on the 16-race 2021 schedule, and it is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 4. This race, which is the only race on the scheduled for the month of July, is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET.