Due to the ominous forecast, the Verizon IndyCar Series race was postponed until Monday at Noon ET.
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Will Power ramped up pressure on IndyCar Series point-leader and Team Penske teammate Simon Pagenaud on Monday when he won the rain-postponed event at Pocono Raceway.
Points leader Simon Pagenaud qualified 14th in windy conditions.
“It’s a back-to-back races coming up – three in a row”, Power said.
“We just had a crash”, admitted Pagenaud. “I’m just happy for the team”. I feel very sorry for the fans because they came out and now we have rain.
Pagenaud finished 18th after a late crash and Power trails by 20 with three races remaining in the season.
But the real frustration set in when the engine suddenly went quiet.
“If all goes according to plan, even with Texas, yeah, I think there’s a possibility (to win the title)”, Newgarden said. His No. 22 bottomed out and he lost the steering before crashing.
“It felt okay leaving the pits”. Heavy wind gusts created a major variable, mostly blowing toward Turn 1. Turn 2 was fine. I just knew that we couldn’t do any better.
PIT FALLS: Helio Castroneves, Alexander Rossi and Helio Castroneves were involved in a weird pit road accident on Lap 63. However, a setup change made to Aleshin’s Honda at the fifth scheduled pit stop backfired, and he faded slightly until the issue could be addressed at the final round of pit stops. “It’s very frustrating. I’m trying to smile about it, trying to be upbeat about it, but after the season we’ve had this year, it’s very disheartening”.
“All of a sudden I just saw a vehicle on top of me; I didn’t see anything else”, Castroneves said It was pretty scary … but to be honest inside the auto we’re protected than people realize”. Just not quite fast enough. Seriously, I was on the edge.
“I caught him, but it was just impossible to overtake”. Hunter-Reay was third.
A caution for debris on lap 176 enabled Hunter-Reay to get his lap back.
IndyCar drivers had a lot to talk about following the 2016 ABC Supply 500. The 2012 series champion worked his way back through the field to cross the finish line with a podium finish. “We come to the track every week”. “This is the type of year it has been, really heart-breaking”. Really heartbreaking. The No. 28 DHL Honda really deserved to be in contention for the win there at the end.
“I’m going to be there to support the team”.
Power’s surge has moved him into a tie in all-time wins with Rick Mears and Scott Dixon, and also includes second-place finishes at Iowa and Mid-Ohio.
Rounding out the top five were Josef Newgarden and Sebastien Bourdais. “But we just kept working with the vehicle, added some downforce and then it took off”. Pagenaud’s Chevrolet appeared to lock brakes through the sweeping turn and side-swiped a SAFER barrier hard before drifting to the bottom of the track. He was so fast, he had an incredible drive so congrats to him. It also erased an nearly two-second lead Power had built over Aleshin. “I had to come through the field twice, but the vehicle was a rocket ship – it’s a shame”. The Columbian racer came home ahead of fellow countryman Montoya, who enjoyed several last lap skirmishes with the likes of Graham Rahal and James Hinchcliffe. It’s very unfortunate. This vehicle was awesome today. If we don’t get along, it’s going to be a nightmare.
“I don’t mind Mondays”, Power said. We didn’t get the victory, but we were very close.
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Castroneves described the incident by saying, “All of a sudden there was a vehicle on top of me. It was a little unusual”. It’s one of those commitments that we have to make.
