2022 Bommarito Automotive Group 500

Race Notes

• The 2022 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 was 260 laps on the 1.25-mile egg-shaped World Wide Technology Raceway oval totaling 325 miles. The pit road speed limit was 50 mph and the pit window was approximately 45–55 laps under green-flag conditions using a four-stop strategy. Pole sitter Will Power gridded drivers' left and the green flag to start the race was the sixth time past the start-finish line. The first two parade laps were in the form of a three-wide salute to fans to honor the heritage of the Indianapolis 500.
• Originally scheduled at 5:30 p.m. CDT, the race's start time was moved up by approximately 30 minutes due to the expectation of inclement weather later in the day.
• At 5 p.m., the ambient temperature was 89 degrees with 46% relative humidity and mostly cloudy skies. The track temperature was 108 degrees according to Firestone engineers.
• At 5:01 p.m., John Bommarito gave the command "Drivers, start your engines." All cars started and were rolling on the grid.
• Power led the field to the green flag and dominated the early part of the race, leading a total of a 128 laps. Several drivers ran behind Power, including Marcus Ericsson for the first stint and Scott McLaughlin for much of the second stint.
• On Lap 145, the first of just two full-course cautions began when Jack Harvey made contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 4. Leaders at the start of the 12-lap caution were Takuma Sato, Power, Pato O'Ward, McLaughlin and Ericsson.
• With Sato pitting under caution, Power led the field on the Lap 157 restart but was passed by O'Ward on Lap 158. O'Ward was then passed by Josef Newgarden on Lap 165.
• Newgarden went on to dominate the remainder of the race, leading a total of 78 laps. His run to the checkered was interrupted by inclement weather.
• On Lap 214, the race was yellow flagged for weather conditions at the racetrack as rain began to fall. Leaders at the start of the caution were McLaughlin, Newgarden, O'Ward, Power and David Malukas.
• With 217 laps complete, the race was red flagged for two hours and nine minutes for rain and track-drying activities. After the red flag was lifted, the caution period continued until Lap 223 setting up a restart on Lap 224.
• McLaughlin led the field on the restart but was passed by Newgarden in Turn 3. While Newgarden continued to hold off McLaughlin, Malukas made a charge and passed O'Ward for third.
• Newgarden took the white flag ahead of McLaughlin but Malukas passed for the second position in Turn 2 on the final lap and trailed Newgarden to the finish line.
• Newgarden won the race with an advantage of 0.4708 of a second over Malukas. The result marked Newgarden's fifth win of 2022 and the 25th of his NTT IndyCar Series career, tying him for 16th on the all-time wins list. The victory marked Newgarden's third consecutive win at WWTR and his fourth win overall at the track.
• Malukas scored a career-best result with his second-place finish. His previous best finish was eighth at Iowa Speedway earlier this year.
• Unofficial points after the Bommarito Automotive Group 500:
  1. Power 482
  2. Newgarden 479 (-3)
  3. Dixon 468 (-14)
  4. Ericsson 465 (-17)
  5. Palou 439 (-43)
  6. McLaughlin 428 (-54)
  7. O'Ward 424 (-58)
  8. Rosenqvist 340 (-142)
     

Session Notes

• Final practice for the 2022 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 consisted of two segments:
  • Group A featured nine cars for 30 minutes that were intended to rubber in the high line.
  • The second segment, an hour in duration, was open to all cars.
• Both sessions started seven minutes after their scheduled start times, with Group A practice beginning at 6:07 p.m. CDT and the segment open to all cars beginning at 6:52 p.m.
• At 7:49 p.m., the session's only yellow flag came out when the No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Jimmie Johnson spun at pit in. The race car sustained light damage to its nosecone. Two minutes later, the session was checkered.
• The No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda of Graham Rahal was fastest overall at 177.728 mph.
  

Qualifying Notes

• Single-car qualifying at World Wide Technology Raceway consisted of two laps for each driver with a measured distance of 1.25 miles per lap. Qualifying order was determined by reverse entrant points through Round 14 in Nashville, with Ed Carpenter first and points leader Will Power last.
• At 3:15 p.m. CDT, the official start time of qualifying, the ambient temperature in Madison, Illinois was 88 degrees with 45% relative humidity and partly cloudy skies. The track temperature was 122 degrees according to Firestone Racing engineers.
• There was one on-track incident, when the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet spun in Turn 2 on Felix Rosenqvist's first qualifying lap. The car made light contact with the tire barrier on the backstretch. Rosenqvist was able to climb from his car without assistance from the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team.
• Will Power, last to qualify in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, was fastest with a 182.727 mph two-lap average.
• The biggest challenge to Rosenqvist capturing the NTT P1 Award came from the qualifier that immediately preceded him, Marcus Ericsson, whose 182.070 mph run was the only other two-lap average in excess of 182 mph.
• Power's NTT P1 Award for the 2022 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 marked his fourth pole of 2022 and his 67th career Indy car pole, tying Mario Andretti for first on the all-time pole position list.
• Ericsson secured his first career front-row start. His previous best start was third at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2021.
  

Session Notes

• The first of two practice sessions for the 2022 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway began on time at noon CDT.
• There were no on-track incidents during practice which ran under green-flag conditions from start to finish.
• Will Power ended the 60-minute session with the fastest lap at 180.539 mph in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet.
  

Pursuant to rule 16.2.3.2, Car 28 has been penalized nine grid positions.