Alex Palou finished ninth, Jimmie Johnson 14th at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 1.25-mile oval race Aug. 20 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Alex Palou and Jimmie Johnson were both able to deal with the challenges of Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 to deliver decent finishes for The American Legion’s INDYCAR effort.
Palou ran the full colors of The American Legion on his No. 10 Honda. The defending NTT INDYCAR SERIEs champion started fifth and finished ninth on the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway oval.
For Johnson, it was his first race at this track since he competed in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race in 2001. In his final INDYCAR race of the season, Johnson started 21st, but his No. 48 Carvana/American Legion Honda car came to life after a two-hour rain delay pushed the conclusion of the race into the night. With cooler track conditions and the oval illuminated by lights, Johnson raced his way to a 14th-place finish.
Johnson finished ahead of such drivers as four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, INDYCAR star Felix Rosenqvist, former Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud and 100th Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi in the 260-lap battle.
“I’m really excited about my first race here in an INDYCAR in St. Louis,” Johnson said afterward. “With all the ovals we’ve run this year, I did not have a chance to come here and test. It takes some time to get up to speed and get going.
“About midway through today’s race, it finally clicked for me, and I was able to move forward. After the rain delay, I felt pretty racey and it was just about confidence. I think I had a car capable of running in the top five or top ten; it’s just about me understanding how to drive around this track and I finally got there.”
Palou’s finish keeps him in the fight for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.
Josef Newgarden of Team Penske scored his fifth INDYCAR victory of the season and moved him into second place in the standings, just three points behind championship leader Will Power.
“It was a long day for sure for us with the rain delay but finished P9 with the No. 10 American Legion,” Palou said. “I think we had a car for a little bit more. Things didn’t fall our way, but we’re still in the hunt.
“The championship is really close and we’re heading to the West Coast where we were quite strong last year with chances to win. We need to focus on ourselves, try to win the last two races of the year and try to get this championship back home again."
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon is third in the standings, just 14 points away from a potential seventh NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with just two races remaining. After Chip Ganassi Racing driver, Marcus Ericsson, is fourth, 17 points out of the lead.
Palou is fifth in the standings, 43 out of the first place.
The Top Five are separated by just 43 points, the tightest points race with two races to go since the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car Series were unified in 2008 to create today’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Grand Prix of Portland, Sept. 4, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC.
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