Rookie Newgarden Stars in Qualifying at Fontana
After missing one race due to injury, IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Josef Newgarden led the Hondapowered
field Friday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, posting the fourth-fastest speed in
qualifying for Saturday night’s season-ending MAVTV 500.
Newgarden’s qualifying run was his best of 2012, and comes after breaking a finger in a crash with
Sebastien Bourdais at the GoPro Indy Grand Prix in Sonoma, California, last month. As a result of the
injury, Newgarden missed the Grand Prix of Baltimore two weeks ago, but was cleared to drive his Sarah
Fisher Hartman Racing Honda Dallara earlier this week.
Scott Dixon and Alex Tagliani qualified just behind Newgarden, in fifth and sixth, respectively; while
Graham Rahal qualified 11th in his Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Dallara. Saturday night’s
season-ending MAVTV 500 starts at 5:30 p.m. EDT, with live television coverage on the NBC Sports
Network.
Josef Newgarden (#67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda) 4th quickest in qualifying, best
qualifying performance of 2012: “We were pretty flat out [during the qualifying run], and maybe we
could have trimmed out the car a little bit more. We weren’t sure about the temperature, and didn’t want
to risk too much. Coming into the race, we talked a lot about how I want a car that’s going to be
comfortable, reliable and consistent for the entire race. That’s what we’re working on, we want to have a
good race car that can run a lot of laps. If we have that, then we can run and compete up front.”