Tag: Honda Indy Toronto

Rookie Josef Newgarden showed glimpses of the competitive IZOD IndyCar Series driver he will one day become in Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto, but unfortunately his charge from the back of the field was cut short in the closing laps of the race.

Newgarden started in 20th and immediately began a calculated march to the front of the field. He turned the quickest lap out of any cars in the race on lap 62 at 105.188 mph.

The No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) Dallara/Honda/Firestone car was so spot-on that during his two pit stops his car needed no adjustments and received only fuel and tires.

Newgarden patiently climbed to fourth position and was challenging for third and what would have been his first podium finish when the tide turned.

On lap 80 of 85 Newgarden attempted a pass in Turn 3 on the inside of Simon Pagenaud for third place. With Pagenaud taking away Newgarden’s angle into the corner, the No. 67 car overshot the turn and went nose-first into the tire barriers. Though he was eventually able to restart the car, it was not before going one lap down.

Pagenaud received a 30-second penalty from IZOD IndyCar Series race control for blocking Newgarden’s car.

“Unfortunately at the end, I attempted a pass on Pagenaud that l don’t think I should have tried,” Newgarden said. “I went into the tires and that was the end of our fantastic run today.”

Newgarden had to settle for the 13th-place finishing spot.

“We had such a great car today just like we have all year,” he said. “We showed that despite missing two of three practice sessions and qualifying in the back of the pack, we have the ability to move up the field and threaten for a podium finish. We were right where we need to be today. We just need to seal the deal.”

Sarah Fisher, co-owner of SFHR, was sorry to see a promising result again evaporate before the checkered flag waved.

“We wore the heart of our emotions on our sleeves today,” Fisher said. “I appreciate all the fans who have stood behind us during this tough season though.”

Fisher’s goal for SFHR is to finish each of the five races that remain on the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule.

“Our cars have been in the top-five of one practice session or another at almost every event we’ve been to this year,” she said. “We just now need to run every single lap from here forward throughout the remainder of the season.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay drove to victory in the Honda Indy Toronto after leading 36 laps. The win was Hunter-Reay’s third consecutive victory and catapulted him to the top of the driver point standings.

Charlie Kimball finished second, which was his career best IZOD IndyCar Series result. Mike Conway, Tony Kanaan and Oriol Servia rounded out the top-five.

Newgarden and SFHR will return to action in the IZOD IndyCar Series at the Edmonton Indy in Alberta, Canada on July 22.

Josef Newgarden knows his job driving an IndyCar for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) is never easy, but he found himself behind the eight ball during qualifications for the Honda Indy Toronto after missing the first two Honda Indy Toronto practice sessions due to fuel pressure issues.

Newgarden qualified 22nd in his No. 67 SFHR Dallara/Honda/Firestone car after being able to participate in only one of three practice sessions before qualifying. His issues were compounded by hot, sticky conditions that contrasted greatly with his lone practice session that was drizzled with rain.

“Missing practice yesterday hurt us a little more than I thought it would because we hardly got any dry laps in the practice session this morning,” Newgarden said.

According to Newgarden, his abbreviated practice time put a spotlight on how strong his competitors are.

“There’s just so much talent in this field that you can’t let the other drivers get two practice sessions up on you during a weekend,” he said. “You can’t just turn a handful of laps and expect to blow everybody else’s doors off.”

Newgarden doesn’t believe the No. 67 car’s qualifying lap of 104.951 mph will hinder his chances of advancing in Sunday’s Honda Indy Toronto race.

“We were only three tenths of a second away from transferring out of our first qualifying session, so it’s not like we’re miles off,” he said. “And there’s nothing wrong with the car, we just needed more track time.”

The SFHR team will battle from the back of the pack in Sunday’s race, but Newgarden is up for the challenge.

SFHR made an unapproved engine change in the No. 67 car, and will incur a 10-spot starting grid penalty for the race.

Dario Franchitti won the pole for the Honda Indy Toronto, making it his third consecutive pole in IZOD IndyCar Series competition. Will Power, Justin Wilson, Sebastien Bourdais and Scott Dixon round out the top five starting positions.

The Honda Indy Toronto will be broadcast live Sunday, July 8 on ABC at 12:30 p.m. ET.

For IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Josef Newgarden, 2012 has been full of opportunities not usually experienced by someone his age. He has started on the front row of the Long Beach Grand Prix, has qualified seventh for the Indianapolis 500 and has raced wheel to wheel with IndyCar’s living legends.

But last weekend he did what every other 21-year-old male living in the U.S. did—he went to the movie theater and saw “Ted” with his friends.

At its most recent stop at Iowa Speedway, the IZOD IndyCar Series wrapped up five consecutive weekends of racing that was also sprinkled with tests at various tracks. After an action packed month of May in Indianapolis followed by four race weekends, Newgarden was ready to take a deep breath.

“I just went home and spent time with family and friends after Iowa,” Newgarden said. “There was a lot to get through in this last month for everyone in the sport, so we were all looking forward to a break. It was nice to have time off to reflect and think about everything that’s happened so quickly.”

Spending time with friends his age who don’t compete at the highest level of open-wheel racing in North America is grounding for Newgarden.

“My friends are up to a lot of different things,” he said. “One is a business marketing major with potential to do big things in the future. Another is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met who should probably be on TV. It’s nice to balance out my daily life with what they do in school.”

While Newgarden’s job driving the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car comes with as much risk for pressure as it does reward, Newgarden maintains that he wouldn’t swap positions with any of his friends.

“All 21-year-olds are different from each other in what they do and what experiences they seek out. I don’t mind missing out on some things because most people don’t get to do what I do in this car,” Newgarden said. “My path may be different than other people’s, but racing is just what I like to do.”

Newgarden will take to the Streets of Toronto for IZOD IndyCar Series practice on Friday, July 6. The Honda Indy Toronto will be broadcast on ABC Sunday, July 8 at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Quotes:

“SARAH FISHER (SFHR Team Co-Owner- Commercial Point, Ohio)

This is your team's first time running in Toronto and the team has had its best finishes of the year on road/street courses. Did you expect the team to evolve so quickly from oval specialists to serious competitors on road and street courses?

“As a team, we have been able to expand our ability to simultaneously focus on all three different circuits through increased engineering, development projects and driver selection, as we approached this season. We knew we would have to put forth the effort from all fronts to give us the best possible preparation even at the late stage that we were able to commit to the season long effort. It's ongoing, the dedication and effort put forth from everyone at SFHR, which is directly the reason we have been so competitive on a consistent basis. I am so proud of all the individuals here, who as a team are truly persevering towards that great finish we know is coming soon, and hopefully at Toronto!”

You were very young for your rookie season in IndyCar similar to your team’s driver Josef Newgarden. What did you do to stay grounded when you were moving up to the highest level of open-wheel racing?

“There is a lot of pressure on your shoulders to perform as a rookie, from every angle. The intensity of our sport and the endurance in the environment is a challenge that you can only experience from being a part of it. As a rookie I was 19, and my first year was a roller coaster ride. Just the idea of doing what I loved, racing at the top of open wheel, was a fantastic reward.”