Tag: Milwaukee IndyFest

After climbing out of his No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) Dallara/Honda/Firestone car at the Milwaukee IndyFest Josef Newgarden had one thing to say: “I’m ready to go to Iowa.”

Iowa is the next race on the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule, and Newgarden is ready to get there.

He had a strong start from 17th at the Milwaukee Mile and immediately began picking off several cars early in the race.

“It looked like Josef was really good there at the beginning,” Mike O’Gara, team manager for SFHR, said. “He picked up four or five spots and was gaining on the guys in front of him. Then we started having some fuel pressure problems.”

After only a handful of laps, Newgarden came on the radio and told his team that the fuel pressure alarm was going off in the car. SFHR refueled the car in hopes that it would help the issue, but Newgarden was forced to pull the car behind the wall for repair.

“Something was wrong inside the fuel cell,” O’Gara said. “We pride ourselves on the quality of race cars that we turn out, but something beyond our power failed today. We’ll take the car back to the shop, inspect everything and replace everything we can.”

Newgarden was the first car to retire from the Milwaukee IndyFest race, and therefore finished in the 25th position after completing 48 of 225 laps.

SFHR and Newgarden will now focus on ridding themselves of the monkey that has been on their backs throughout the first half of the season.

“We’re just going to have to go to Iowa and kick everyone’s butt,” Newgarden said. “Seriously though, that’s what we need to do. We have to focus on the next race. We got unlucky again this weekend, which is what has happened all year. It’s got nothing to do with the team, we’re just not catching any breaks.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay drove to victory at the Milwaukee IndyFest. He was followed by Tony Kanaan, James Hinchcliffe, Oriol Servia and EJ Viso, who rounded out the top-five.

Hunter-Reay led 85 laps on his route to win. The race was slowed by five caution periods for a total of 51 laps.

IZOD IndyCar Series action resumes Saturday, June 23 at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 in Newton, Iowa.

Josef Newgarden showed the mark of a true competitor at the Milwaukee Mile on Friday. After two lightning-quick practice sessions and a solid qualifying effort he was left disappointed and wanting more because of what could have been, not just content with his more than respectable effort as a rookie driver.

Newgarden qualified his No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in seventh position for tomorrow’s Milwaukee IndyFest race. His car was even more promising in the two practice sessions prior to qualifications when he finished first and second.

“I didn’t quite get enough out of the car today in qualifications,” Newgarden said. “I probably should have held it a little more flat than I did because SFHR gave me a really good car.”

Newgarden’s two-lap qualifying average of 166.699 mph was the third highest qualification effort out of all Honda-powered cars in the Milwaukee IndyFest field. He was also the fastest rookie qualifier.

However, the No. 67 car will serve a 10-spot starting grid penalty for tomorrow’s race because of an unapproved engine change made at Texas Motor Speedway before last weekend’s Firestone 550. After the penalty, Newgarden will start from the 17th position.

“Knowing we had the penalty coming here wasn’t too bad because it’s been a cycle this year,” he said. “Everyone’s had to go through it at some point and it’s just our turn.”

Newgarden relishes the rivalry brewing between Honda, Chevrolet and Lotus as a bonus for the sport.

“I think it’s great that we have that competition because that’s what racing is really about,” he said. “We want to see them duking it out with each other, and I’m really proud to be backed by Honda power.”

As SFHR makes the switch from qualification to race mode, Newgarden is focusing on a strong car and conserving tires.

“I’m concerned with tire wear being a big issue during the race,” he said. “We have a fast car though and we’ve got to make it last throughout the whole race tomorrow.”

Honda power claimed the top two starting positions on the Milwaukee IndyFest starting grid. Dario Franchitti will start on pole with an average lap speed of 168.737 mph. Justin Wilson qualified second with an average lap speed of 168.287 mph.

Ryan Hunter-Reay (167.911 mph), Will Power (167.361 mph) and Rubens Barrichello (166.899 mph) rounded out the top five in Milwaukee IndyFest qualifying.

The 225-lap Milwaukee IndyFest race will air live Saturday, June 17, at 1 p.m. ET on ABC. It can also be heard on the IMS Radio Network (check local listings) and XM94/Sirius 121.

Josef Newgarden is comfortable driving fast on four wheels in his Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) Indy car, but on a recent visit to Milwaukee he had a change of pace and cruised the downtown streets with the Milwaukee Police Department’s bicycle patrol.

Newgarden and SFHR return to Milwaukee this weekend for the Milwaukee IndyFest at the historic Milwaukee Mile, and Newgarden may have a few new fans in the stands who dress in blue and wear badges at their day jobs.

“Riding with the Milwaukee police’s bicycle unit was really fun,” Newgarden said. “They showed us all around their downtown areas and it was really cool to see what they do on a daily basis.”

The No. 67 SFHR/Dallara/Honda/Firestone car even sports the traditional police colors of blue, black and white. During his time with the bicycle unit, Newgarden found that he could get used to patrolling the streets.

“I think Ryan Hunter-Reay (fellow IZOD IndyCar Series driver), who also rode with the unit in Milwaukee, would agree that I have some good police officer skills,” he said. “If I wasn’t a race car driver it would definitely be something to think about.”

SFHR and Newgarden head to the Milwaukee Mile coming off of a 13th place finish at Texas Motor Speedway. Newgarden climbed 12 spots during the race after starting last.

The team tested at the Milwaukee Mile on May 29. The short, flat oval is a unique challenge for Newgarden.

“Milwaukee is a very difficult track physically because you’re constantly turning at a very short radius,” Newgarden said. “There’s a lot of load put on the driver because of how much downforce we run. There’s also no banking at Milwaukee so setting up the car will be difficult to master because it’s unlike any other oval we go to.”

The No. 67 car will serve a 10-spot starting grid penalty at the Milwaukee IndyFest race for an unapproved engine change at Texas Motor Speedway.

The 225-lap Milwaukee IndyFest race will air live Saturday, June 17, at 1 p.m. ET on ABC. It can also be heard on the IMS Radio Network (check local listing) and XM94/Sirius 121.