The Verizon IndyCar Series came to Iowa Speedway for the Iowa Corn 300 this afternoon. Simon Pagenaud was on the pole, with Josef Newgarden on the outside row. Newgarden was looking to continue to build momentum and put the Texas accident in distant memory.
Newgarden would do that early as he took the lead going into turn 1. When Newgarden began to pull away from the field, everyone else had to follow in hot pursuit. Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, and Marco Andretti went down a lap early from Newgarden's dominance. Pit stops begin to take place on lap 49 where Helio Castroneves was the first one to pit, followed by race leader Newgarden who pitted on lap 50. The rest of the field made their stops all the way up to lap 66.
After the pit stops, Newgarden recycled back into the lead, with three other cars on the lead lap. These included Pagenaud, Castroneves, and Tony Kanaan. Newgarden continued to dominate in the race, but his pace was slowed due to the first caution on lap 109. Ryan Hunter-Reay blows his motor off of turn 2. Hunter-Reay's quest for a three peat at Iowa is over. It was a welcome site for Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon, Kanaan, Will Power, Graham Rahal, Mikhail Aleshin, Max Chilton, and Sebastian Bourdais as they got their laps back due to the wave around. Newgarden and Pagenaud were the first ones to pit as they were the only ones on the lead lap, followed by the wave around cars a lap later. Ed Carpenter had gearbox problems with his car.
After a lengthy caution due to cleanup, the field went back to green on lap 129. Newgarden again drives away while other drivers had to settle in behind him. Newgarden stayed out in front for 42 laps, until another caution came out for Montoya's car on lap 180. Montoya's car went up in smoke down the backstretch. The leaders came down pit road including Josef Newgarden. Newgarden would win the race off pit road.
Restart lap 189, Newgarden checks out and drives away with the lead. He continued to stay there while pit strategy begin to take place on lap 232. Kanaan and Marco Andretti came down to make their last pit stops of the day, but a caution came out on lap 247. This was not welcomed by Kanaan and Andretti as they were trying to make ground up. The caution was for Max Chilton as he spins off of turn 2, and slides down into the wall, but avoids any contact. Newgarden, Pagenaud, Dixon, Power, Aleshin came down pit road for their scheduled stops. Although it was Newgarden, with a fast stop that got him out in the first position.
The last restart came with 40 to go, as Newgarden and Dixon led the field down into turn 1. Newgarden continued his strong performance by outracing Dixon. Dixon slipped back to third as Power passed him for second with 6 to go. It wasn't enough for Power though, as Josef Newgarden took the checkered flag with a dominating racecar. Newgarden lead 282 laps en route to victory.
The Verizon IndyCar Series goes to Toronto, Ontario, Canada next weekend for the Streets of Toronto.
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