NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 2
PPG 375 – Texas Motor Speedway (USA)
Felix Rosenqvist again found himself at the receiving end of his Texas Motor Speedway jinx as he crashed out of Sunday’s INDYCAR PPG 375 after starting the race from pole position.
The accident happened when, on lap 177 of 250, Rosenqvist encountered lapped traffic and got into the marbles on the high line – losing grip and smashing his Arrow McLaren Chevrolet into the outside retaining wall.
It marked a disappointing end to an otherwise largely positive weekend, with Rosenqvist having led the field to green from his first pole of the season and appeared set for a big points haul.
It also holds eerie similarities with previous examples of promising pace coming undone at the 1.5-mile superspeedway for Rosenqvist, including a retirement last year with technical issues after also starting from pole position.
“This place and I, we continue our love/hate relationship,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “I was passing a car on the outside of Turn 3-4 and got a little bit high. I got into a wiggle, saved it, then I had another one, and by then I was just too high up and got caught in the marbles. Unfortunately at that point, that was it.”
Josef Newgarden won the race in Texas while Arrow McLaren found some reprieve with Pato O’Ward finishing second.
“I was struggling a little bit today with a loose rear, so it was tricky, but I still think we had a quick car and we had a good finish going on,” Rosenqvist concludes. “It hurts, but there are lots of positives to take, including our first pole position of the season and Pato battling for the win until the end. On to the next one.”
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES resumes in two weeks’ time (April 14-16) with the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
RESULTS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 2
PPG 375
Texas Motor Speedway (USA)
1: Josef Newgarden (USA), Penske, 250 laps
2: Pato O’Ward (MEX), Arrow McLaren, +1.283s
3: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, +1.883s
4: David Malukas (USA), Dale Coyne, +2.117s
5: Scott Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, +2.437s
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DNF: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Arrow McLaren, +73 laps
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 2/17 races
1: Pato O’Ward (MEX), Arrow McLaren, 82 p.
2: Marcus Ericsson (SWE), Ganassi, 75 p.
3: Scott Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, 67 p.
4: Josef Newgarden (USA), Penske, 66 p.
5: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 60 p.
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25: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Arrow McLaren, 18 p.