INDYCAR - Ontario Honda Dealers INDY at Markham
Ontario Honda Dealers INDY at Markham
Markham, ON – August 16, 2026
JOSEF NEWGARDEN No. 2 PPG CHEVROLET
Start: 20th, Finish: 13th, Points: 6th (-190)
RACE RUNDOWN: Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 PPG Chevrolet team finished 13th in Sunday's Ontario Dealers INDY at Markham after battling handling issues throughout most of the 90-lap NTT INDYCAR SERIES event. Due to several grid penalties before the start of the race, Newgarden moved up to the 20th starting position after slotting in with the 25th fastest lap in qualifying due to bringing out a red flag during the session. He and the PPG Chevy team chose to begin the race on the black, primary Firestone tire, and from the drop of the green flag he radioed that he was struggling to get them up to optimal racing temperatures. A pit stop on Lap 12 opened the door for a three pit stop strategy for the No. 2 team in an effort to gain valuable track position, but the handling issues on the car did not allow them to take advantage of the strategy. A Lap 38 pit stop saw the crew change the front wing to attempt to give Newgarden the balance he was looking for in his PPG machine. While the change did improve the handling, Newgarden was spun in the hairpin by the No. 6 of Nolan Siegel on Lap 59 to bring out a full course caution. As the race played out in a dramatic, fuel strategy ending, Newgarden was able to grab several positions as others were forced down pit lane for fuel, ultimately crossing the finish line in the 13th position.
NEWGARDEN'S THOUGHTS: “Just not the weekend we were hoping for with the PPG Chevy. It was extremely hard to get any heat in the tires, especially early in a run. It was a handful even under caution. Jonathan (Diuguid) worked the strategy to maximize the best finish possible. Leaving with a 13th place finish doesn't feel great but it doesn't feel too bad at the same time. Looking forward to D.C."
