Starting last, Simon Pagenaud triumphs in Iowa!

simon pagenaud did it! Starting last following a fuel pressure problem in qualifying which forced him to stay in his box, the Frenchman from Team Penske won his first victory of the season at Iowa Speedway.

A fantastic comeback that the outgoing Indy 500 winner celebrated with steaming donuts, before shouting his joy. “ What a night, he exclaimed at the microphone of NBCSN. I can't believe it, I have to watch the race again. »

Despite a last place on the grid, the evening started well for him with a rapid rise from 23rd to 15th place from the twelfth of the 250 laps. Sixth during the only free practice session, the Poitevin knows he can count on a high-performance mount, excellent over long stints.

At the end of the first refueling stage, shortly before the 90th lap, Simon emerges in 6th position. Takuma Sato (RLL Racing – Honda) is then leader, but the Japanese will lose precious time during his next passage through the pitlane. This is where the Frenchman becomes an obvious contender for victory.

On the 139th lap, Simon took the lead, thanks to the pit stops of his teammates Josef Newgarden and Will Power, who were leading the race. The wheel turns... literally and figuratively, since Will Power loses his left front wheel, loosely fixed, an incident causing the first neutralization of the evening on the shortest circuit of the season.

In the process, a spectacular accident involved Colton Herta and Rinus VeeKay at the restart. There car of the Andretti driver passes over that of the Ed Carpenter Racing rookie, fortunately protected by the aeroscreen.

During the restart on lap 171, Pagenaud was in 4th position, and quickly took 3rd place at the expense of Takuma Sato. The race is then led by the single-seaters of McLaren SP of Pato O'Ward and Oliver Askew, particularly bleeding on fresh tyres. On the 178th lap, however, the Frenchman once again seizes the reins of the event, the two young triggermen of the Anglo-American team having, moreover, to return to the pitlane. This is not the case for Pagenaud, who relied on a fuel saving strategy, like Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing), who also started at the back of the pack (17th) and who will represent the ultimate threat for French.

On lap 218, the five-time series champion passes Alexander Red to position itself in Pagenaud's escapes. Hindered by the latecomers, the latter will suffer, but he will notably resist an attack from the New Zealander on the 233rd lap, to offer Team Penske its first success of the season after five races.

« The last few laps were tense, he will admit. When Dixon chases you away, you have reason to worry. I was also concerned about the McLarens because this evening you were going a lot faster on fresh tyres, but we were able to hold on. »

Pagenaud finally crosses the line with 0"5 ahead of Dixon and 7" over Oliver Askew, who gives his employer a 2nd consecutive podium after that obtained Road America by O' Ward, who finished 4th. “ My biggest success on oval will remain Indy, but this one is pretty cool » concluded Simon, back in 2nd place overall, 50 points behind Scott Dixon, before the 2nd race of the weekend which will be held on the night of Saturday to Sunday (2:30 a.m. French time). Simon will start again in last position. Nothing insurmountable for him...

Josef Newgarden will start from pole position, with the grid for this second race being determined by the second fastest lap in qualifying.