INDYCAR: O’WARD BACK ON TOP IN IOWA RACE 1, PALOU CHARGES TOWARD THE TITLE IN RACE 2

Race 1: O’Ward breaks winless streak, snatches victory from Penske in Newton showdown

After nearly a year, Pato O’Ward is back on the top step of the podium. The Mexican driver delivered a brilliant and tactically flawless drive on the short oval in Newton, Iowa, edging out Josef Newgarden in a dramatic finish. Strategy was the game-changer: while the Penske driver opted for an early final stop, O’Ward extended his stint and emerged in the lead when it mattered most.

For Team Penske, who looked poised to dominate the weekend on paper, the outcome was a blend of disappointment and consolation. The long-awaited win slipped through their fingers, but they still placed three cars in the top four: alongside Newgarden’s second place, Will Power secured third ahead of a sensational Scott McLaughlin.

The New Zealander was electric. After a qualifying crash relegated him to the back of the grid, McLaughlin pulled off a stunning charge through the field with brilliant overtakes and flawless race management. A late-stop strategy, much like O’Ward’s, allowed him to overtake Alex Palou in the closing stages.

Championship leader Palou, who ran strong and remained in the lead pack all race long, lacked the final punch to go for the win. He finished fifth, salvaging crucial points for the title race. He’ll get a shot at redemption tomorrow, starting from pole in Race 2.

Right behind him, Christian Rasmussen finished sixth, followed by Conor Daly and Santino Ferrucci. Marcus Armstrong took ninth, just ahead of Lexington race winner Scott Dixon, who rounded out the top ten.

It was a bitter day for the Prema team: the best finisher was Robert Shwartzman in 20th, while Callum Ilott's No. 90 car hit the wall in the final stages, triggering the race’s last caution.

The race featured several interruptions. Right from the start, Colton Herta spun out and brought the first caution. On lap 73, Jacob Abel hit the wall, followed by Kyle Kirkwood’s crash on lap 152. Nolan Siegel, who had been running an impressive race, saw his hopes dashed with 27 laps to go after a hard crash that brought out a red flag to repair the barriers.i

The final sprint, shortened by those interruptions, turned into a duel between O’Ward and Newgarden. Despite constant pressure, Newgarden couldn’t make the move stick, and O’Ward crossed the line first, finally ending a rough stretch with a well-deserved victory.

Palou Unstoppable: Seventh Win of the Season on Newton Oval, Ganassi 1–2 as Pit Stops Sink Newgarden

Street circuit, road course, oval—it makes no difference to Alex Palou. When it’s time to win, he delivers. The three-time IndyCar champion continues to dominate the 2025 season, scoring his seventh win in twelve races on Newton’s short oval and reinforcing a supremacy that seems unstoppable. Only Kyle Kirkwood has offered any real resistance with three wins, while Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward have taken the other two rounds.

Starting from pole in his Ganassi, Palou led the early stages until lap 66, when a restart after Sting Ray Robb’s crash gave Josef Newgarden a chance to pass on the outside with a stunning move. The Penske driver, still winless in 2025, looked headed for a long-overdue victory—his last was at Gateway in August 2024—but a crash by Marcus Ericsson during the second stint flipped the script. The caution came right after Newgarden had pitted, forcing him to rejoin at the back of the lead group and drop out of the top ten.

Palou reclaimed the lead, followed by David Malukas and Race 1 winner Pato O’Ward. But Newgarden wasn’t done yet—after a quick late pit stop, he clawed back through the field to finish second behind the Spaniard. Malukas and O’Ward rounded out the top four until one final twist.

A pivotal pit stop following Colton Herta’s crash played right into Palou’s hands. He delayed his stop, and the resulting caution froze the field, allowing him to exit pit lane back in the lead. Behind him, Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong capitalized on perfect timing to grab podium spots. Newgarden, hurt by a subpar stop, was shuffled back to tenth.

For the 44-year-old Dixon, it marked his third podium of 2025 following results in St. Petersburg and a win at Lexington. Armstrong celebrated his first major result of the season with Meyer Shank Racing, claiming his second career IndyCar podium—the first came in Detroit last year. The New Zealander, who won the 2017 Italian F4 championship, continues to show his talent at the top level.

Malukas and O’Ward were left disappointed in fourth and fifth after sniffing the podium. But Prema had reason to smile: Robert Shwartzman finished ninth, scoring the Italian team’s best result of the season following their tenth place at Gateway. The former Ferrari Driver Academy talent put together a clean, consistent race, confirming the team's progress. It was a tough break, though, for Callum Ilott, who retired after a crash on lap 177.

Among the high-profile retirements was Scott McLaughlin, eliminated on the opening lap after contact with Devlin DeFrancesco—continuing a tense rivalry from their previous clash at Thermal. Will Power was forced to retire after just 21 laps due to an engine failure. Nolan Siegel, who had qualified an impressive fifth for Race 2, wasn’t even allowed to start after Saturday’s crash prompted doctors to sideline him for precautionary reasons.

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