Team Penske dominated the IndyCar season opener in Florida. Josef Newgarden started on the pole and led almost the entire race during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The reigning Indy 500 champion set the pace for 92 of the 100 laps. His teammates, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power also finished strong giving Team Penske three of the top four positions.
The win proved to be key in the ongoing rivalry between Penske and Andretti. Earlier this week, Michael Andretti called on Roger Penske to sell the IndyCar series claiming Penske doesn’t appear to be willing to improve promotions and marketing for the series. Penske’s team responded with a dominate performance and the third series where Penske teams have won the opener. His IMSA team won the 24 Hours of Daytona, with Newgarden being one of the drivers in that race, as well. His sports car team also took the checkers in the WEC opener in Qatar.
Pato O’Ward drove his McLaren to second place ensuring Penske didn’t sweep the podium. Colton Herta finished fifth as the highest placing driver for Andretti. It’s been a tough 2024 for Andretti after F1 denied his application for entry in that series. His new driver, Marcus Ericsson, finished 25th after losing power mid-way through the race. Still, his team scored a Top 5 finish in the first race of the season.
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Top 10 Finishers
- Josef Newgarden
- Pato O’Ward
- Scott McLaughlin
- Will Power
- Colton Herta
- Alex Palou
- Felix Rosenqvist
- Alexander Rossi
- Scott Dixon
- Rinus VeeKay
Next Up
The IndyCar series takes next weekend off before returning to the track the weekend of March 22-24 for the Thermal $1 Million Challenge. The race from Thermal, California features two heat races and an All-Star showcase. No points will be awarded for this event as the drivers are racing for $1 million in cold hard cash.
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