Pato O'Ward's win at Iowa Speedway was the closest IndyCar finish at Iowa Speedway since 2007 under green flag conditions.
NEWTON — The King of Corn Country was usurped by the Prince of IndyCar.
Coming into the July 12 race, the first of two IndyCar races at Iowa Speedway in 2025, pole-sitter Josef Newgarden had won six of the 12 IndyCar races at Iowa Speedway since 2016. Newgarden led the first 232 of the 275 laps. But a slow pit stop with 42 laps left cost Newgarden the lead when his left front tire changer fumbled the front tire and took precious more seconds to change the tire. Pato O'Ward — arguably IndyCar's most popular driver — led when the pit cycle finished.
O'Ward and Newgarden battled to the end, through a Lap 257 red flag when a portion of the turn four wall was damaged by a Nolan Siegel crash. O’Ward held off Newgarden by 0.265 seconds. It was the closest IndyCar finish under green at Iowa Speedway since 2007 when the margin of victory was 0.681 seconds. One race which ended under caution was technically closer, according to IndyCar.
O'Ward, a Monterrey, Mexico, native who moved to San Antonio at age 11, also won the first race at Iowa in 2022 during his 50th start. July 12 marked his 100th IndyCar start, making him the sixth driver to win his 100th IndyCar race, and the first since 2002. It was also the first time that O'Ward won at a track he previously won at.
O'Ward has been behind Newgarden more than any other driver during his IndyCar career, he said afterward. On the Fox broadcast O'Ward said he wanted to "Turn the tables" on Newgarden. Afterward O'Ward said he beat Newgarden at his own game.
"He was poised to get another win," O'Ward said afterward. "He's dominated here. But we've had a lot of battles, a lot of No. 1 and No. 2s, and in a lot of those battles I've been No. 2. It's just way nicer and a way better feeling when you're No. 1."
O'Ward will start No. 9 in Iowa Race 2, scheduled for noon on Sunday, July 13. Newgarden, the 2023 and 2024 Indianapolis 500 winner, passed 2,000 laps led at Iowa Speedway during the race.
The win marked a high in the worst season in recent memory for Team Penske, owned by IndyCar owner Roger Penske. This is the second-straight year Team Penske has been plagued by scandal. In May Newgarden and Power's cars failed technical inspections before the second round of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 when IndyCar officials found unapproved adjustments to the rear attenuator of both cars.
Newgarden and Will Power were moved to starting spots No. 32 and 33 and finished 22nd and 16th, respectively. Team Penske fired three executives in the wake of the violations. Scott McLaughlin crashed on a pace lap of the Indy 500 and never took the green flag.
Each week seems to bring new struggles for Team Penske. On June 15 Newgarden appeared to be cruising to a win near St. Louis when he was T-boned by Louis Foster's car after Foster clipped the Turn 4 wall, causing Newgarden's car to flip on the front stretch. On July 6 at Mid-Ohio, an engine fire forced Power out in 26th place. Newgarden spun on Lap 1 and finished last in 27th.
McLaughlin had 24 on-track passes after starting No. 27th, in last, because he crashed his car while qualifying. But on July 12 Newgarden, Power and McLaughlin finished second, third and fourth.
"Our car was really good, team did an amazing job," Newgarden said.
"I was stoked to get a podium," Power said. "I know wins are nice, but considering what's been going on, a top-five would have been good."
Second lane works well
Heading into this weekend there were fears that the single-file processional racing from 2024 would be replicated after a partial repave an all four corners caused drivers to stick to the bottom lane. But a second racing groove developed, Power said. Power thought that the racing would be even better on Sunday because Saturday's race put sticky rubber in the high lane.
"It's actually probably true two lanes," Power said. "It's much better than last year."
Arrow McLaren Team principal Tony Kannan said it was "tough to pass," but that the racing was better overall than 2024.
"I think this race was better than last year," Kannan said. "I think at some point we got actually a two-lane race."
Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and motorsports for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Pato O'Ward wins in closest finish under green at Iowa Speedway
Category: General Sports
