Newgarden Knocked Out of Milwaukee IndyFest by Fuel Pressure Issues
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[/media-credit]West Allis, Wisc., Sunday, June 16, 2012 – After climbing out of his No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) Dallara/Honda/Firestone car at the Milwaukee IndyFest Josef Newgarden had one thing to say: “I’m ready to go to Iowa.”
Iowa is the next race on the IZOD IndyCar Series schedule, and Newgarden is ready to get there.
He had a strong start from 17th at the Milwaukee Mile and immediately began picking off several cars early in the race.
“It looked like Josef was really good there at the beginning,” Mike O’Gara, team manager for SFHR, said. “He picked up four or five spots and was gaining on the guys in front of him. Then we started having some fuel pressure problems.”
After only a handful of laps, Newgarden came on the radio and told his team that the fuel pressure alarm was going off in the car. SFHR refueled the car in hopes that it would help the issue, but Newgarden was forced to pull the car behind the wall for repair.
“Something was wrong inside the fuel cell,” O’Gara said. “We pride ourselves on the quality of race cars that we turn out, but something beyond our power failed today. We’ll take the car back to the shop, inspect everything and replace everything we can.”
Newgarden was the first car to retire from the Milwaukee IndyFest race, and therefore finished in the 25th position after completing 48 of 225 laps.
SFHR and Newgarden will now focus on ridding themselves of the monkey that has been on their backs throughout the first half of the season.
“We’re just going to have to go to Iowa and kick everyone’s butt,” Newgarden said. “Seriously though, that’s what we need to do. We have to focus on the next race. We got unlucky again this weekend, which is what has happened all year. It’s got nothing to do with the team, we’re just not catching any breaks.”
Ryan Hunter-Reay drove to victory at the MilwaukeeIndyFest. He was followed by Tony Kanaan, James Hinchcliffe, Oriol Servia and EJ Viso, who rounded out the top-five.
Hunter-Reay led 85 laps on his route to win. The race was slowed by five caution periods for a total of 51 laps.
IZOD IndyCar Series action resumes Saturday, June 23 at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 in Newton, Iowa.
RACE INFO:
DATE: June 16, 2012
EVENT: Milwaukee IndyFest
SERIES: IZOD IndyCar Series
LOCATION: Milwaukee Mile (1-mile, flat oval)
START/FINISH: 17th/25th (Mechanical, Completed 48 of 225 laps)
WINNER: Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport
