Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Win 20th Indianapolis Pit Stop Challenge

Josef Newgarden and his Team Penske crew won the Oscar Mayer $150,000 Pit Stop Challenge for the second consecutive year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, defeating teammate Will Power in an all-Penske final. Newgarden's crew completed a pit stop in a record 10.263 seconds in the final round, securing Team Penske's 20th victory in the event, with Newgarden becoming the fifth driver to win three or more times. Both Newgarden and Power will start from the last row in the 109th Indianapolis 500 due to a rules violation involving an illegal part on their cars, making the fast pit crews even more critical for their race strategy. Newgarden, who led final practice with a top lap speed, aims to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indy 500s, despite starting 32nd, the deepest starting position for a winner in race history. Newgarden praised his pit crew as "unsung heroes," emphasizing their importance in the race, while Team Penske continues to demonstrate strength despite a challenging week leading up to the race. The pit stop challenge victory and strong practice performance provide optimism for Newgarden's pursuit of an unprecedented three-peat at Indy.