Instant Recall: Bommarito Automotive Group 500
Sunday night's competitive and unpredictable NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway featured nine different teams finishing in the top 10. And here's the kicker: Team Penske wasn't one of them.
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline was one of those topsy-turvy races for which the series is known. If it seemed every driver in the paddock felt he had a chance to win the race, including all three representing Team Penske, believe them.
More than half of the drivers led the 260-lap race. Five of the top-10 finishers were pursuing their first series victory, and that didn't include David Malukas, who led a race-high 67 laps, or Callum Ilott, who was leading with four-plus laps to go for a PREMA Racing team competing in just its second oval race.
Christian Rasmussen used a car that had been spectacularly on fire to twice drive from the back of the field, pass a race-high 62 cars and finish a career-best third. He was elated. Conor Daly, who always seems to have a fast car at this track, stormed to the lead mid-race and led 36 laps. He saw the race as one that got away.
The 27-car field was full of inspirational stories. One of those was Kyle Kirkwood scoring the first oval win of his still-young career. He led only eight laps, but the last five took him to victory lane.
As for Team Penske, well, it was a night to forget as all three drivers had dramatic exits.
Running second, Will Power had a rare tire failure that sent his car into the Turn 4 wall. Later, Josef Newgarden was leading and on his way to lapping series points leader Alex Palou when he found trouble on the front straightaway. Choosing to pass Palou on the left side turned out to be the wrong one as that's where Louis Foster's damaged car was sliding after wall contact off Turn 4. Their impact was ferocious, with Newgarden launched upside down. With Scott McLaughlin retiring from the race a half-hour later, the team with an event-record nine wins, including four of the past five by Newgarden, had an average finish of 25.3.
There are so many other drivers left wondering how they weren't hoisting the big trophy atop the podium. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon – again – used crafty fuel strategy to get the lead on Lap 194, and for a time it looked like he might score the 59th victory of his career and third at this track. Malukas had jumped from fourth to first on the opening lap and led 67 laps, but in a late-race chance to overtake Kirkwood, his car drifted high into the Turn 4 wall. It might have been those two battling for the win if that wall slap was avoided.
Kirkwood and second-place Pato O'Ward each led eight laps, the same number totaled by Santino Ferrucci, who seemed to be charging each time the television camera found him. Ilott and Felix Rosenqvist both pitted on Lap 204 in a bid to stretch their fuel to the end and steal a win. Both nearly pulled it off, but Rosenqvist aborted with seven laps left, three laps ahead of Ilott.
Rinus VeeKay delivered a season-best seventh-place finish and led a lap. Rookie Robert Shwartzman, making just his second oval start after winning the pole for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, finished 10th, the first time he saw the checkered flag on a circle track.
Among drivers without a series win, five finished in the top 10. Rasmussen was third, Ferrucci fifth, Daly sixth, Marcus Armstrong ninth, Shwartzman 10th.
Those who led the race: Malukas (67), McLaughlin (51), Dixon (43), Daly (36), Newgarden (25), Kirkwood (eight), O'Ward (eight), Ferrucci (eight), Ilott (five), Rosenqvist (three), Alexander Rossi (two), Marcus Ericsson (two), Rasmussen (one), VeeKay (one).
The top seven finishers represented seven different teams: Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren, Ed Carpenter Racing, AJ Foyt Racing, Juncos Hollinger Racing and Dale Coyne Racing. Also with a top-10 driver at the end were Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian and PREMA Racing.
All told, 254 passes for position, tying the series record at WWTR set last year.
The moral of this story: Celebrate Kirkwood's masterful drive and the entertaining challenges by so many others.
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