By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
An all-Team Penske pairing in the Oscar Mayer $150,000 Pit Stop Challenge saw Josef Newgarden beat Will Power in a final that required all three rounds. Newgarden’s crew won the first round and Power’s prevailed in the second.
In the final, Newgarden’s No. 2 crew changed four tires and completed a simulated fueling in 10.263- seconds, while Power and the No. 12 crew trailed at 10.503-seconds. The No. 2 crew earned a $50,000 prize, with the No. 12 crew collecting $25,000.
This was the record-extending 20th victory in the annual contest for Team Penske, and Newgarden became just the fifth driver to win three or more times. The victory could be a positive omen for Newgarden, who last year became the first driver to sweep the pit stop contest and the “500” in the same year since Helio Castroneves in 2009, also for Team Penske.
Newgarden has won the past two Indy 500s via last-lap passes. Newgarden is just the sixth driver to win an Indy 500 in consecutive years, joining Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71) and Helio Castroneves (2001-02). No driver has won three consecutive editions of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” And Newgarden never
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