UPDATED: Hard crash ends Newgarden’s chance for sweep, then he's airlifted to hospital after fainting
EDITOR'S NOTE: Team Penske released the following statement regarding the condition of Josef Newgarden late Sunday evening:
Team Penske Statement on Josef Newgarden:
“Josef Newgarden was involved in an incident late in Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway, after which he was evaluated and released from the infield care center. Following the conclusion of the race Newgarden lost consciousness and fell, sustaining a cut on the back of his head. Due to the 45-minute drive to MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and the traffic outside the racetrack, the medical helicopter was determined to be the best mode of transportation. After being evaluated, all scans were negative. Newgarden will be held overnight for observation. Following INDYCAR protocol, Newgarden will be evaluated by the INDYCAR medical staff on Thursday
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(ORIGINAL STORY)
It was a rough Sunday afternoon at Iowa Speedway for Josef Newgarden.
After winning Saturday’s 250-lap race at the ⅞-mile oval, the two-time IndyCar champion looked to pull off a weekend sweep and claim the overall point standings lead.
Instead, his time at the track came to an unexpected conclusion when he first was involved in a hard solo crash while leading the race with 64 laps left. After being treated at the infield medical center, he was released.
But over an hour later, Newgarden reportedly fainted and struck his head, prompting him to once again be sent to the infield medical center to be treated for an abrasion to his head, and then was airlifted to a local hospital for further treatment and examination.
Various reports had Newgarden passing out either near his transporter or in the driver's motor home lot. Here's a tweet about his condition and treatment:
Newgarden dominated the race early on, leading 148 of the first 236 laps of the 300-lap event. However, while leading with 64 laps remaining, something broke on his No. 2 Chevrolet, causing his car to spin and hit the Turn 4 wall, with the hard impact occurring on the driver's side of his car.
The crash ended what was up to that point would have been a dream weekend for the 31-year-old Tennessean. His win Saturday was his fourth triumph at the Iowa short track and he was also looking for his fourth win of the season on Sunday.
"It definitely was a bit of a shot,” Newgarden said after the crash. “I want to cry. I'm so sad for my team. I don't know what happened. It was a good run. It's just one race but I feel terrible for us. Team Chevy and Hitachi guys did a great job. Something went wrong there."
Newgarden had reported a vibration earlier but he said he “wasn’t sure” if that had anything to do with the crash.
“Everything felt fine to me up to that point,” he said. “I did have a vibration at the start of the stint, which isn't abnormal. Tire balances are always shifting. It's very possible that we had a mismatched set or something. It wasn't diabolical whatsoever. Actually, everything felt just fine. It was totally unexpected when it happened. It caught me by surprise. I didn't know what happened until I was in the wall."
Josef Newgarden was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital as a precaution after fainting after the race and hitting his head. Photo courtesy IndyCar.
Newgarden was obviously shaken up by the accident but he was cleared by on-site medical officials and remained at the track as the race continued. However, after the race he was seen collapsing and suffering a head abrasion near his hauler.
IndyCar Medical Director Dr. Geoffrey Billows stated that Newgarden was awake and alert following his collapse and that he was being airlifted to a nearby hospital in Des Moines for further evaluation.
The reasoning behind the air lift was because the hospital was a 45-minute drive away and there was traffic surrounding the track due to a post-race Blake Shelton concert that was taking place at the time.
Newgarden’s final finishing position was scored as 24th. He currently is tied for third in the overall point standings with Scott Dixon, both drivers 34 points behind series leader and Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson.
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O’Ward scores second win of ‘22
Pato O’Ward was victorious for the second time this season Sunday afternoon, taking the race lead following Newgarden’s crash and holding on to win by 4.2476 seconds over Will Power.
“The No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP guys in the pits were awesome,” O’Ward said. “I think that’s what gave us our win. Obviously, I did the job in the car to keep her safe and maintain. I knew we had the pace but it’s tough whenever you’re going through the traffic. The guys in front of me had it in a different way, so it’s different on every lap."
The win put O'Ward in fifth place in the standings -- two points behind Dixon and Newgarden -- and makes him a legitimate championship contender with five races remaining for the season. The next event is this Saturday on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Pato O'Ward celebrates his second win of the season and fourth of his IndyCar career after winning Sunday in Iowa. Photo courtesy IndyCar.
“I’m super-stoked and super-happy," O'Ward said. "We knew that we had a good car so it was all about just capitalizing and being there when it counted. The guys did a great job calling when we had to pit. It was very, very enjoyable.”
Will Power finished second, followed by Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin in third, Scott Dixon was fourth and seven-time NASCAR Cup champ Jimmie Johnson finished fifth for his best IndyCar finish to date.
