Josef Newgarden had a relatively smooth drive to finish third in last Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland. It wasn’t without a few challenging moments, though.
After starting fifth in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, Newgarden quickly fell two spots shortly after taking the green flag but was able to rebound with a methodical march back into the top five by lap 31 of 110. From there, he continued to hit on his in- and out-laps, out-lasting a furious mid-race battle with Andretti Global’s Colton Herta before finishing on the final step of the podium, a distant 23.2046s behind racing-winning teammate Will Power on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course.
