NTT INDYCAR SERIES: SYNK 275 POWERED BY SUKUP

July 12, 2025

Josef Newgarden

Will Power

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Wrapping up today's Synk 275 powered by Sukup, Josef Newgarden has joined us, who led 232 laps today of the 275, driver of the No. 2 Astemo Penske Chevrolet, best finish of the season, second podium here of 2025, 60th of his career, which ties him with Johnny Rutherford for 17th on the all-time list.

Josef, take us through the day, please, with your best finish of 2025, but I'm sure you wanted one more.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, it was okay. Our car was really good. Team did an amazing job. Been good all weekend. Really proud of the Astemo car we put out there. Team Chevy did amazing. It was great to see them get a result. They've really deserved one all year. Yeah, that's that.

Q. It's a Chevy one-two-three, so good stuff from the bowtie brand. Also joining us, Will Power, who led three laps this afternoon, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, matching his best finish of the season, now 107 career podiums, which is, of course, still fourth on the all-time list.

A lot of good action out there, Will. What did you think of the race?

WILL POWER: Yeah, I really enjoyed it. It was sort of one and a half lanes. Conor Daly kind of showed us the way when he just rolled the outside and showed that he could go there, so then you start going there, and there was grip. Yeah, worked on people a lot. Worked on two Ganassi guys and then can't even remember the rest. But it was fun.

Q. You hate to see cautions, but a lot of two-by-two action.

WILL POWER: Yeah, that actually helped rubber it in. Restarts definitely help big time.

Q. Josef, I know very close to the line, had a great day all day, but what does it mean for both of you to get this result for you, for you, for Power and for McLaughlin to all finish up there and battle so close to the lead?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I think it was just a clean day for the most part. We've just struggled to have clean days; one thing has happened or another, and today was mostly pretty okay.

WILL POWER: No strange issues.

Q. What does it mean for you going into tomorrow? Obviously y'all showed -- Chevrolet finally showed strength on the track, finally beating the Honda. I know it was Pato O'Ward, but how much confidence does that bring you going into tomorrow?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: I don't think they finally showed strength; I think they just finally got a result is what I would say for Chevrolet.

WILL POWER: Yeah. We've been there.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It's the truth. Anybody who's been watching would know.

WILL POWER: We had plenty of potential to win a race all year. It was just a strange year.

Q. Josef, on those last 20 laps and the last two restarts, did you need Pato to make a mistake or was there anything you could do?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: No. I mean, he pushed me up in 3 in the restart when I had a good run. You're going for the win, so I almost -- I can't fault him. But with this package I was flat out. Couldn't do anything different. He got position, and that was that.

Q. Did you think you had a shot to pass him when you came out of the pits? Looked like you got right up to him.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, if we were just a little quicker, then we do. It takes one little bobble.

Q. Will, you were battling with Scott there toward the end, probably both knowing that you need to be smart and also knowing, I'm sure, you guys both just really badly wanted to get a win here or move up and gain a spot and put yourself in the right position. How did you manage and deal with that battle with him down the stretch?

WILL POWER: I was hoping it wouldn't be close. It was good on the first restart. I was like, good, I've got a gap. You don't want to have any issues when you've got three team cars in a row. You just kind of want to finish there, considering the season we've had.

But I think -- I'm sure he was thinking the same. He's come all the way from the back of the field. To be where he was is pretty impressive. I think he's going to be pretty happy with where he was.

Yeah, always difficult with a teammate. You don't want to cause him a problem. Even tougher if you're going for the win. You don't want to -- the last thing we want at this point with the season we've had.

Q. Josef, between the last pit stop when Pato was blending out just barely ahead of you, between that moment, then the two restarts at the very end, which of those did you feel like maybe you had the best chance or maybe the closest moment to be able to pass him back and take the lead back?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: We just needed to maintain position. That was going to be the key.

Q. Speaking of teammates, Scotty Mac came all the way from the back, fourth place finish from 27th. That's pretty impressive. When you think about that two-three-four finish for Team Penske even though you didn't win? You've still got to walk away feeling pretty good that you're getting the program back in the right direction.

WILL POWER: Oh, man, I was stoked to get a podium. I really was. Wins are nice, but considering what's been going on, just top 5 would have been good. Just finish the bloody race, get some points. Crying out loud, we have such potential every week. Just to leave so much on the table in the last few races has been really disappointing. Just nice to have a solid result and build on it tomorrow.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Tremendous for the group. Very good.

Q. Will, specifically about Scotty, what did you think? You've had some pretty good moves through the field before in your career. He said he went high when nobody else would because in order to do that you've got to do what the other drivers aren't.

WILL POWER: It didn't surprise me actually when I saw him there. I was like, man, that's awesome, but not really surprised, and especially after a big shun. It's not nice to get back in that thing and trust the rear straight off the bat, but that's a big recovery right there. Good for him.

Q. Josef, you kind of mentioned the package. I'm going to ask it bluntly. Do you think there's a possibility or a scenario where we could seen an on-track lead change tomorrow, or is it all going to be on the pit sequence?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: No, I think throughout a sequence you will. In 10, 15 laps you won't. Certainly not like at the end of this race. But through sequencing if there's a car that's faster than the leader, I think you can get by him, yeah, for sure.

Q. It seemed like in lap traffic today it seemed like you were picking your spots. Could you make more passes in lap traffic than you were showing, or was that kind of a decision to hold position and knowing that it was really tough to pass for second?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, I was just kind of managing risk today. A day like today going, I wish I would have done a little bit more. But we've got tomorrow, so we'll see what we can bring.

Q. Will, you mentioned the track is kind of one and a half lanes right now. It seems as the race improved, that second lane got better and better. What can we expect tomorrow from that?

WILL POWER: Actually probably a true two lanes now. You can put your tires just on that black seam, maybe a little higher, which is two lanes.

Yeah, you need just half a car and you can start working someone, especially if they've got someone in front of them. Yeah, that's how I got past the guys I had to get past. Yeah, it was good. Much better than last year. It really was.

Q. Will, you mentioned a couple of weeks ago at one of the press conferences, I think it was at Road America, about the changes in the downforce levels at this track and how you thought it could be a lot more physical. Did that actually play out in the race, or was it similar to last year?

WILL POWER: It wasn't initially when everyone was just saving fuel going slow, but once we started hammering, it got physical. Like at the end there, man, oh, my God, big arm pump just trying to hold on.

It was nice when it went yellow, you could open your hands, shake them out a bit. Your grip, when I came to pit, I could hardly pull the paddle and press the neutral button. It was very difficult for me because you had so much arm pump. It got pretty hard, and I think it'll be harder tomorrow. More grip, people have better cars. Yeah, and it'll be a more hectic race because everyone knows there's two lanes, so you're never going to sit back and save fuel, you're going to try and pass.

Q. Because of the fact that the track has now got some rubber on after the rain, will that second lane really become a true second lane?

WILL POWER: Yeah, it's rubbered in. It could actually help the race tomorrow. It will already be rubbered in. Everyone will have seen that you can run two lanes. Everyone will run two lanes, so essentially it will be just better racing. Sometimes everyone's car improves, and that sort of stops a bit of passing, but yeah, looking forward to it.

Q. Following up on that last question, during the FOX broadcast, FOX interviewed Pato during the red flag and he said that the second lane was working. He was worried you would catch him, Josef. Any feedback you can give about whether that second lane was working in your opinion?

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: It's in. It's working. Yeah, we were using it. It's come in.

WILL POWER: Josef loves to answer questions at the moment. He's seething. Seething. He didn't win. He was close, man. I saw it. I was like, he's going to get him. He's going to get him on the outside. But he moved him up a little. Yeah, it was -- yeah, second lane, I think tomorrow will be really in.

Q. Will, if you can follow up, we might ask the same question after tomorrow's race, but there's been so much speculation about the future of this date heading into this weekend because that second lane didn't work last year. If the racing starts to get back to something that we've seen in the past, could that mean good things for the future of INDYCAR here?

WILL POWER: I think it will be all about the numbers, how many people they got here. I think they want to go to places that have big crowds and successful events. I think it'll be all about that.