INDYCAR - Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
Lexington, OH – July 5, 2026
JOSEF NEWGARDEN No. 2 PPG CHEVROLET
Start: 9th, Finish: 9th, Points: 6th (-134)
RACE RUNDOWN: Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 PPG Chevrolet team earned a ninth-place finish in Sunday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Continuing to battle a left foot injury, Newgarden showed his trademark determination throughout the 90-lap event, which ran caution-free from start to finish. After starting ninth, the throwback Bobby Unser 1981 Indy 500 winning livery slipped to 12th by lap seven as the field settled into the opening stint. When the early pit window opened on Lap 10, strategist Jonathan Diuguid instructed Newgarden to close the gap to the cars ahead while managing his overtake usage efficiently. Pleased with his pace as the first round of stops approached, the team called Newgarden to pit road on Lap 27 for four primary tires and fuel after encouraging him to maximize his overtake deployment. Newgarden steadily worked his way forward, climbing to ninth by Lap 36 and reporting that the track was beginning to lose overall grip, prompting a planned wing adjustment at his next stop. Newgarden moved into fourth by Lap 45 before cycling to the race lead during the pit sequence. He returned to pit road on Lap 50 for four alternate tires, fuel and a wing adjustment, rejoining the race in ninth position. A final stop on Lap 66 for four primary tires and fuel required no additional changes. Newgarden maintained a consistent pace and brought the No. 2 Chevrolet home in ninth place.
NEWGARDEN'S THOUGHTS: “Great job by my PPG team. The car was great, Team Chevy continues to step it up on the natural terrain circuits. Looking forward to racing at my home track at Nashville Superspeedway.”
