INDIANAPOLIS — No driver has ever won the Indianapolis 500 after starting in the last row.
Two-time defending 500 winner Josef Newgarden (32nd) and his teammate, 2018 Indy winner Will Power (33rd), will both attempt to make history in Sunday’s 109th running of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
While both drivers showed speed during practice worthy of placing their cars on the front row, a technical infraction, which cost three executive members of their team their jobs, has relegated the duo to the rear of the field for the 200-lap run on the 2.5-mile track.
“I like the challenge coming from 32nd,” Newgarden said. “I don’t know what the day looks like, it’s so hard to predict. We do have a great car. It just seems to be getting better every year. I’m trying to protect that right now. It’s one of these things where every day changes a little bit at the speedway. You have to stay on top of it. Sunday is really going to be the day that counts. We have to make sure we’re in the right place for that day. If we can do that, we should be in a good spot.”
Power agrees that it is possible to win from the back row.
“Yeah, it’s certainly tougher these days with the very tight field, but absolutely possible,” Power said. “Obviously depending on where yellows fall and so on, you can certainly find yourself in a really good spot. The car is good. The car is fast. It feels like it’s good in traffic. I have started back there before. Yeah, so looking for a very, very clean, good day. Good, solid day.”
Newgarden said his plan for making it forward will take shape as the race progresses.
“I don’t have a plan at the moment. I don’t want to set anything in stone as far as markers or milestones throughout the race. I think we just got to go,” he said. “I know this. If we can get the car where it needs to be on Sunday, which is where it’s been pretty much every day that we’ve been here so far, Indy is this mysterious place. Like every day, every condition is a little different.
“I know if we have the car we’ve had this entire month, we’re going to be completely in the fight. I don’t know what that is going to look like. It’s so hard to predict. I’m pretty open-minded on how this day is going to go.
“We have the tools and the people to battle to the front, which is what we plan to do.”
Though, they start alongside one another on the grid, Newgarden said it will be difficult for he and Power to work together in making their way forward.
“I think it’s hard to work together. We can certainly not hinder each other,” Newgarden said. “That’s probably the best way to put it. We’re on the same team. We got the same goal. We want to get all our cars up front. We want a car to win for our team, for our group.
“We don’t need to be hindering each other. I don’t know that we’re going to be able to work in parallel. It’s very tough to do here at the speedway. In a lot of ways starting in the back, it’s every person for themselves. We’re just aware of each other. We both know what the game plan is in a lot of ways. I just think trying to not hinder each other is more the challenge.”
Power acknowledged that the firing of Tim Cindric, Ron Ruzewski and Kyle Moyer as a result of the most recent round of technical infractions by the team is a distraction.
“Yeah, I mean, man, I’ve been around long enough to shut that stuff out and still focus on the thing that you’re here to do, and that’s to get the absolute most out of the car,” Power explained. ‘You still have to do your homework. You can’t be distracted by all this. My main focus is Sunday, and that’s true. I’m not too swept up in it. I’ve got plenty of time after the race to think about that, but we’re coming up on the biggest race of the year for us.
“Yeah, I think everyone — I feel like everyone on the team is positive and very motivated. I think being the driver you need to show that this is not affecting you, and you’re very focused on the job at hand, and I am. I am. I haven’t allowed too much emotional stress to take away energy that I need on Sunday.
“Tough situation, but we still got a job to do.”
While Power graciously answered questions about the turmoil within the team, Newgarden took a different approach.
“Well, I think we got a lot of people sitting here today, it looks like. I don’t want to disappoint or offend anybody,” he cautioned. “I’m here to talk about the race. I’m here with my team. I’m ready to go racing. I love this race. My goodness, I’ve been enjoying being here this whole time. I look forward to it every year, as we all do. Ready to go to work with our group.
“Proud of everything that we have done up to this point. Ready to go racing. So that’s what I got to say.”
