Josef Newgarden in Penske Chevrolet Wins Texas 600

Good for the promoters and gushing TV commentators, bad for racing.

Josef Newgarden won the NTT IndyCar Series race at Texas Motor Speedway Saturday night after a bonehead move by Scott Dixon illuminated a late yellow light. The race was caution-free for more than the first half, until Zach Veach brushed the wall exiting Turn 2 on Lap 135. His Honda did an entertaining 360-degree spin but Veach kept it off the wall and came to a stop in Turn 3 with slight suspension damage and a flat tire.

The second caution occurred when James Hinchcliffe slid wide into the Turn 2 wall on Lap 219. The final exasperating yellow came when the cars of Scott Dixon and rookie Colton Herta touched while battling for third place in Turn 3 on Lap 229, sending both into the wall. It was clearly Dixon’s fault. Race Control did nothing.

The caution for the Dixon-Herta incident set up the shootout to the finish between Newgarden and Rossi.  The 2019 championship leader held off Alexander Rossi by holding the line  over the final 10 laps to capture the 600. Newgarden, in the No. 2 Fitzgerald USA Team Penske Chevrolet, won by 0.8164 of a second to collect his 13th career win, third this season and first on a super speedway.

The next IndyCar Series race is  at Road America on Sunday, June 23. Live race coverage starts at noon ET on NBC and the  INDYCAR Radio Network.

DXC TECHNOLOGY 600: Official race results