By: Spencer Neff
August 17, 2024

2024 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Results

Josef Newgarden earned his track record-extending fifth victory at Worldwide Technology Raceway (Gateway). The Team Penske driver held off his teammate and pole sitter Scott McLaughlin by 1.726 seconds to win the Bommarito Automotive Group 500.

He would take the lead of the race for the first time on Lap 244, leading the final 17 laps on the 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois.

It is the second win of 2024 for the Hendersonville, Tennessee native and the 31st of his career. He is now tied with Dario Franchitti, Paul Tracy and Helio Castroneves for 10th all-time.

Behind the Penske duo of Newgarden and McLaughlin’s Chevrolets, Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Linus Lundqvist moved from 18th on the grid to finish third, equaling his career-best finish (Barber Motorsports Park in April) and was the best of the Hondas.

Andretti Global’s Colton Herta was moved to fifth after Race Control assessed a blocking penalty for an incident between he and Lundqvist. Points leader Alex Palou would end the night in fourth after starting 16th due to an engine penalty. He now leads the standings by 59 over Herta, who moves into second with four races to go in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Race Recap

Following a frantic opening that featured 99 on-track passes, the first caution of the afternoon fell on Lap 8. Katherine Legge of Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing and Ed Carpenter Racing Owner/Driver Ed Carpenter made contact in Turn 1. Legge would fall out of the race as a result.

Soon after, the issues continued. Juncos Holinger Racing’s Conor Daly spun on the back straightaway after contact with Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay. Teammate Romain Grosjean and Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global would also sustain front wing damage in the accident.

Grosjean and Kirkwood fell multiple laps off the pace. Just before the caution, Malukas would find his way up front as McLaughlin and Power entered a fuel-saving effort.

During the Lap 27 restart, Power would take over the lead of the race. On Lap 43, Pato O’Ward would pit with reported engine issues. After several laps on pit lane, the Arrow McLaren crew wheeled his No. 5 car to the garage area.

On Lap 75, Power would cycle back to the lead following a variance of pit strategies throughout the field.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson would crash in Turn 4 on Lap 86, ending his first start at the track prematurely. Power would again hold serve up front after the restart on Lap 97.

Power would make his second pit stop at Lap 120 with McLaughlin following the lap after. Alexander Rossi of Arrow McLaren would lead the next seven laps in his first race back from a broken right thumb sustained in practice at Toronto.

Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson would then lead the next 11 laps as part of a group working a differing fuel strategy.

Ericsson would fall back during the stint and eventually drop from the race with engine issues. Once rookie Nolan Siegel pitted, Penske domination continued with Power and McLaughlin swapping the lead again.

On Lap 197, Newgarden spun exiting Turn 2 from second as the leaders fought their way through lapped traffic, ending a green-flag run of nearly 100 laps for the fourth caution of the day.

After the Lap 208 restart, Power began to set the fastest laps of the race as he looked to create a larger gap from McLaughlin before his impending final stop.

On Lap 240, Maluks’ run at his first career win ended as he crashed in Turn 2 following an intense battle with Power, resulting in the fifth caution of the evening. McLaughlin and Newgarden would pit for a splash of fuel in the stretch run.

A stack-up on the Lap 252 restart led to a collision that would collect Grosjean, Power, Rossi and Harvey. Power, who led a race-high 117 of 260 laps, would finish 18th, dropping him to fourth in the standings behind Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who finished 11th.

With five laps to go, Newgarden would speed past McLaughlin and on to the victory. Slowed by six cautions over 49 laps for an average speed of 136.870 mph, the race featured 21 lead changes among 11 drivers. 11 different leaders ties the mark set in 2019, while 21 lead changes eclipses the record set from that race and tied in 2022 (13).

Up Next

IndyCar heads to the West Coast for the final race on a permanent road course in 2024. The BitNile.Com Grand Prix of Portland will be the next event on tap. Opening practice on the 1.964-mile, 11-turn permanent road course in Oregon is scheduled for 5:55 p.m.-7:10 ET on Friday, August 23.

Second practice is scheduled for 9:00-10:00 a.m. ET, on Saturday August 24. Three-round, knockout qualifying will begin at 3;30 p.m. ET. Final practice is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.

The 110-lap race will be broadcast on USA Network at 3:00 p.m. ET, all other on-track sessions will be broadcast live on Peacock. Stay with IndyCar1909 and our various platforms for the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Header Image By Chris Owens/INDYCAR