Wednesday, December 25, 2024

O’Ward holds off Energy to win as championship battle closes up · RaceFans

Pato O’Ward blasted his McLaren group’s “unacceptable” efficiency when he completed fifteenth in Portland every week in the past, however rebounded in model with victory in Milwaukee.

O’Ward claimed his third victory of the season by absorbing stress from Will Energy over the closing phases of as we speak’s 250-lap race. The Penske driver’s second-place end allowed him to take a chew out of championship chief Alex Palou’s benefit.

Conor Daly joined them on the rostrum after an outstanding drive from twenty fifth on the grid. The motive force who took over from Agustin Canapino two races in the past claimed the Juncos Hollinger group’s finest results of the season.

O’Ward handed Colton Herta and Scott McLaughlin shortly earlier than half-distance to assert the lead of the race. He led to the chequered flag after the third and ultimate restart on the 204th lap race.

Behind him, Energy labored his well beyond Santino Ferrucci, who restarted in second, however misplaced two additional locations to Daly and Palou after the Penske got here by. He fought again to reclaim fourth from Palou earlier than the end.

Linus Lundqvist, who handed pole winner Scott McLaughlin for the lead in the course of the first stint, completed sixth after shedding time at his first pit cease. Alexander Rossi took seventh off McLaughlin on the run to the flag. Christian Lundgaard took ninth, whereas Scott Dixon completed his four-hundredth begin in tenth place. Christian Rasmussen, Kyle Kirkwood and Felix Rosenqvist had been the one different drivers to complete on the lead lap.

Colton Herta dropped out of rivalry when his front-left tyre changer failed to connect his new wheel at his ultimate pit cease, which got here off the automobile quickly after he rejoined the monitor. That triggered the third and ultimate warning interval of the day.

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Katherine Legge triggered the primary with a innocent spin from which she was in a position to proceed. Josef Newgarden didn’t trigger a warning interval regardless of placing the barrier together with his right-rear tyre at one stage.

He did contribute to the second warning, nevertheless, when he tangled with Marcus Ericsson, sending each into the boundaries. Ericsson was attempting to move the Penske on the time however unwilling to take to the much less grippy inside line as Newgarden squeezed him.

Race outcome

P. No. Driver Staff Engine
1 5 Pato O’Ward McLaren Chevrolet
2 12 Will Energy Penske Chevrolet
3 20 Conor Daly DRR-Cusick Chevrolet
4 13 Santino Ferrucci Foyt Chevrolet
5 10 Alex Palou Ganassi Honda
6 8 Linus Lundqvist Ganassi Honda
7 7 Alexander Rossi McLaren Chevrolet
8 3 Scott McLaughlin Penske Chevrolet
9 27 Christian Lundgaard RLL Honda
10 9 Scott Dixon Ganassi Honda
11 25 Christian Rasmussen Carpenter Chevrolet
12 22 Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Honda
13 29 Felix Rosenqvist Meyer Shank Honda
14 18 Rinus VeeKay Carpenter Chevrolet
15 30 David Malukas Meyer Shank Honda
16 16 Jack Harvey Coyne Honda
17 6 Nolan Siegel McLaren Chevrolet
18 24 Pietro Fittipaldi RLL Honda
19 28 Katherine Legge Coyne/WR Honda
20 14 Graham Rahal RLL Honda
21 11 Marcus Armstrong Ganassi Honda
22 21 Colton Herta Andretti/Curb-Agajanian Honda
23 26 Sting Ray Robb Foyt Chevrolet
24 32 Romain Grosjean Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet
25 4 Kyffin Simpson Ganassi Honda
26 23 Marcus Ericsson Andretti Honda
27 2 Josef Newgarden Penske Chevrolet

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