In a week where Team Penske dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons, Scott McLaughlin closed the weekend with Penske on top in what was a clinical performance that overcame at least one untimely caution that could have derailed his race. McLaughlin had enough cautions fall that they effectively put him back in front when at first there was a worrisome moment.
McLaughlin was the best driver today. Every time he was out front, no one was close to him. The last caution with under five laps remaining made it closer than it ever was, but all McLaughlin had to do was hit his marks to clinch the victory,
2. Will Power made it a Penske 1-2 after he and McLaughlin swept the front row. Team Penske doesn’t have to cheat to win races. It never has. Whether you believe Team Penske deliberately left the software code for push-to-pass to be enable on the start and restarts at St. Petersburg and everyone knew they were breaking the rules or it was genuinely a mistake, Team Penske is still one of the top teams in IndyCar. Half the time, it will produce at least one car capable of winning at each race, if not two or all three.
Penske received its penalty. Now, it is already out of the hole. Power is second in the championship, one point out of the championship lead. McLaughlin went from 29th to ninth. Josef Newgarden’s rough day sees him straggling in 15th, but this was a mere setback. Penske is going to be fine.
3. It took six career starts for Linus Lundqvist to get his first career podium finish. This one did not come easy as Lundqvist stretched his fuel 34 laps in the final stint. A year ago, nobody in IndyCar wanted Lundqvist. It took only three races as a substitute for Simon Pagenaud for Chip Ganassi Racing to sign him. How many other drivers just need that chance? It is still early, but Lundqvist keeps tracking upward.
4. Felix Rosenqvist and Álex Palou each stuck to the two-stop strategy and it netted them fourth and fifth respectively. Rosenqvist took fourth late from Palou. Three races, four events total, and Rosenqvist keeps being the most impressive driver of the season. He and Meyer Shank Racing have made great strides.
5. Palou’s top ten finish streak is now up to 21 races. Everyone is in trouble. Palou does not have many bad days. This could have been the day where choosing the wrong strategy could have shuffled him out of the top ten. Nope. There he is again, and in the top five at that. Palou is three points out the championship lead. Don’t be surprised if he is in first again shortly.
6. Christian Lundgaard looked to have the pace to hang with the Penske cars early. Lundgaard got stuck in traffic exiting pit lane after his first stop. That cost him time. He still pulled out a sixth-place finish but he probably wishes he did a little better.
7. Committing to the three-stop strategy under the first caution elevated Santino Ferrucci into the top ten and it allowed him to lead 14 laps. Strategy aside, Ferrucci was running with the other cars in the top ten. He was 11th on the road at St. Petersburg, but the Penske penalties moved him up to ninth. This result makes it two top ten finishes for Ferrucci through three races, a start he and A.J. Foyt Racing would happily have taken if offered on day one of the season.
8. Who is the championship leader after three races? It is Colton Herta! On a day that salvaged a difficult weekend, eighth place has Herta leading the championship by a point over Will Power. This was Andretti Global’s worst weekend by far, but it says a lot that Herta got up to eighth when it appeared he wouldn’t be close to the top ten. He is also leading the championship because two Penske drivers had their points stripped. The team can be pleased of where they are at, but they know they have some work to do.
9. Marcus Armstrong got bounced down the order throughout the race on the two-stop strategy, but he still finished ninth. If there is anything to hang his head over, Armstrong was the lone Ganassi car in the Fast Six, but he wound up the third best finisher in ninth. It isn’t the end of the world, but this could have been Armstrong’s day to set the tone for a top team. It didn’t work out that way, but the New Zealander is putting himself in the right positions. His day will come.
10. Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the top ten. After qualifying, it didn’t look like Andretti would get a car in the top ten let alone two. I think it is the bare minimum they could ask for and this day could have been much worse. Work to do but nothing to be ashamed over.
11. We are going to breeze through some guys…
Graham Rahal had a good day and could have been in the top ten if a few things went different.
The same could be said of Romain Grosjean.
Jack Harvey snuck up to 13th. I know it isn’t spectacular, but Harvey had barely any off-season testing. Dale Coyne Racing operates on a shoestring budget. Harvey has had three different teammates, all making their IndyCar debuts with limited to no testing beforehand. This is not the best scenario for him, but he is making the most of it.
Kyffin Simpson drove smart and finished 14th. That’s a good way to keep a ride,
15. Scott Dixon’s top ten finish streak is over at Barber. In his 14th start, Dixon was 14th. His race was never the same after he was pinched off the road when racing Graham Rahal. I thought Dixon was going for a space that didn’t exist.
16. This is where I must watch the race back, and we might get a second impressions once the picture is clear, I do not know how Josef Newgarden’s day went. I see he finished 16th and I am pretty sure I heard he didn’t take tires at one point. There is more I need to know.
17. Let’s crash through the rest of the grid.
Neither Ed Carpenter Racing car had a good day. Christian Rasmussen’s spin was a disappointing end to his day.
As good as Rosenqvist has been, Tom Blomqvist still looks like a driver readjusting to an open-wheel car after a decade out of them and spending most of that time in sports cars. That was expected, but boy could Meyer Shank Racing be sitting prettier with a more seasoned driver.
Agustín Canapino was 20th. Sure. If you say so.
18. Luca Ghiotto was still going over how to start the car with a Honda technician on the grid. Ghiotto was tossed into the deep end. I have so many questions on how he got put in this car. Who called whom? Where did the money come from? Who else is Dale Coyne going to fly over in less than 48 hours notice ahead of practice. Ghiotto did admirable considering the circumstances.
19. Sting Ray Robb explored a portion of the turn one tire barrier few have ever visited in the 21-year history of Barber Motorsports Park. In 21 starts, Robb has finished outside the top twenty in 14 races. I think we know who he is.
20. Prior to this weekend, I wrote about how Arrow McLaren wasn’t really trending in the right direction even after Patricio O’Ward was awarded the St. Petersburg victory. Long Beach was not great. Barber was significantly worse. O’Ward lost the car after clipping the curb entering turn five. Then O’Ward clattered Pietro Fittipaldi off course. Definite penalty. Alexander Rossi had a loose tire after a pit stop end his race as he was on an alternate strategy. Théo Pourchaire had an incident on the final lap. These cars ended up 22nd, 23rd and 25th. Oof! McLaren might have received the worst thing in the St. Petersburg victory, because this team is still in the same rut it was prior to IndyCar finding Penske circumvented the rules.
21. What a weekend from hell for Pietro Fittipaldi. Steering wrack failure in practice. O’Ward drilled him off course. This has not been a kind first three races at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for Fittipaldi.
22. This ended up being longer than I expected. However, I will watch over the race and pick out anything I saw. Great day at the track. Barber Motorsports Park is more brilliant in person than the television shows, and it is stunning on TV. We will talk more about that as well.
23. After two consecutive weekends with races, we get a breather before the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
