INDYCAR - Detroit Grand Prix
Detroit Grand Prix
Detroit, MI - May 31, 2026
JOSEF NEWGARDEN No. 2 ASTEMO CHEVROLET
Start: 24th, Finish: 10th, Points:8th (-140)
RACE RUNDOWN: Josef Newgarden turned in a gutsy performance in Sunday's Detroit Grand Prix, guiding the No. 2 Astemo Chevrolet to a 10th-place finish while still hobbled from a left foot injury suffered in last weekend's Indianapolis 500. Newgarden began the race from the 21st position following qualifying on Saturday afternoon, a product of having to get comfortable in the No. 2 Chevy while dealing with his injury. He dropped four positions when the race began, but an early caution flag on Lap 10 allowed the Astemo team to work on an alternate fuel strategy to gain track position. Newgarden drove up to the third position after running long in the first pit cycle of the day and settled into the 13th position after a Lap 40 caution allowed the strategies to even out. As the race moved into the second half, Newgarden radioed to strategist Jonathan Diuguid that he needed help with turn. Yet, despite the handling issues he was able to maintain his position in the top half of the field. It was on restarts where he was most compromised, but he continued to battle for every position to come home in the 10th position, winning the Hard Charger of the Race Award in the process.
NEWGARDEN'S THOUGHTS: “I felt like I was in defense mode most of the race, and certainly there at the end I was in defense mode. I was just trying to protect the Astemo Chevy more than anything. The team did an amazing job, just an amazing job to get the car where I could get in it and drive. They did a great race. The only reason we finished where we did is because of what the team did. Great strategy. We were in the race and now we can go on to the next one.”
