Josef Newgarden, driving for Team Penske, secured a significant triumph at the 2018 Phoenix Grand Prix held at Phoenix International Raceway. This victory marked Newgarden’s first of the season and showcased his reliance on his team‘s expert strategy to overcome challenges on the demanding 1.0-mile oval track. The triumphant outcome was pivotal as Newgarden searched for momentum to defend his IndyCar championship title from 2017.
Having started the 2018 season with a seventh-place finish at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, Newgarden needed a strong performance to solidify his campaign. The Phoenix race provided that opportunity, where he began seventh and raced closely with the leading pack. Key decisions by Team Penske throughout the race, particularly in the final laps, were instrumental in turning the tide in his favor.
How Team Penske’s Strategy Powered Newgarden’s Winning Performance
Phoenix International Raceway’s short oval layout makes overtaking notoriously difficult, intensifying the need for flawless pit strategy and timing. Newgarden praised the teamwork that allowed him to gain multiple positions early in the race. After the initial pit stop, he moved up five or six places, a critical advantage that set the stage for his eventual victory.
Reflecting on the team’s execution, Newgarden stated,
“It was a team win tonight. I don’t know that I deserved to win the race tonight, but I think the team did. They did a really good job on strategy. Pit stops were unbelievable. I think I gained like five or six positions on just the first stop, which was awesome. They did a great job.”
—Josef Newgarden, Team Penske driver
Despite winning multiple other races that season, Newgarden ultimately finished fifth in the 2018 championship, making this Phoenix victory a standout moment during his title defense.
The Decisive and Risky Final Pass That Sealed Newgarden’s Phoenix Victory
Late in the race, a caution flag was brought out due to a crash involving Ed Jones on Lap 229. While leading under caution, Newgarden’s team made the bold choice to bring him in for fresh tires. This pit stop dropped him to fourth place at the race restart with eight laps remaining, behind drivers running on older tires.
Newgarden quickly overtook Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe immediately after the restart, setting his sights on race leader Robert Wickens. The final overtake was a high-stakes maneuver as Newgarden took the high line entering Turn 1 to pass Wickens, risking a tight battle on limited laps.
He described the moment by saying,
“The last pass was risky. I didn’t know how that was going to go. … When I was sizing him up, I was like, ‘Man, this is the only way this is going to work out.’ I didn’t know if it was going to work, but it was good.”
—Josef Newgarden, Team Penske driver
This daring move paid off, allowing Newgarden to pull away by several seconds in the closing laps and clinch the victory at the Phoenix Grand Prix.
Significance of the Phoenix Win in Newgarden’s 2018 Campaign
This victory highlighted the critical role of teamwork and strategy in IndyCar racing, especially on tight, challenging circuits like Phoenix International Raceway. Newgarden’s Phoenix success demonstrated how calculated risks, combined with flawless pit execution by Team Penske, can overturn difficult starting positions and push drivers to the front.
The win bolstered Newgarden’s confidence early in the season and underscored Team Penske’s strength as a competitive outfit. Although Newgarden did not capture the championship again in 2018, performances like the one at Phoenix maintained his status as a top contender in the series’s highly competitive field going forward.