IndyCar Gateway driver ratings: An imperfect race for winner Josef Newgarden

Team Penske took yet another win this season, this time at Gateway with Josef Newgarden crossing the line first. But that win was by no means perfect.

These are our driver ratings for IndyCar’s 2024 Gateway event.

Driver ratings for 2024 Gateway IndyCar

Josef Newgarden – 7/10

It seems that wherever Josef Newgarden goes this year, scandal follows. His strong pace at Gateway was the result of plenty of aggressive moves — including one that caused him to spin. His slow pace on the final restart before the race’s red flag, too, seemed to be a tactic designed to cause chaos. Those frustrating maneuvers prevented Newgarden from being able to claim an uncontroversial win, even if had the pace to compete without all the drama.

Scott McLaughlin – 9.5/10

Aside from a few position losses due to fuel saving and a slower pit stop, Scott McLaughlin had an exceptional — and clean — race. The Team Penske driver easily would have won had it not been for his teammate securing a faster pit stop and a hybrid fault at the end of the race. McLaughlin’s pace has been impressive, and on ovals, he’s becoming quite a challenge to beat.

Linus Lundqvist – 10/10

If you predicted Linus Lundqvist for the podium tonight, you might just be one of the luckiest humans on earth. The rookie at Chip Ganassi Racing has had flashes of brilliance, yes, but aside from two podiums, his season has been mired with finishes of 20th or lower. At Gateway, he paired clean driving with flawless execution of an alternate strategy that ultimately kept him on par with the leaders. His podium was well earned after impressive passes on teammate Alex Palou and Colton Herta.

Alex Palou – 9/10

Alex Palou is a machine — there’s no other way to put it. The Spaniard leading the IndyCar championship has padded his lead with a fourth-place finish at Gateway that was earned by quick thinking and smart strategizing. Had Palou not ducked out of the way on the restart that collected Alexander Rossi and Will Power, his race would have been over; instead, he was in place for a comfortable top four.

Felix Rosenqvist – 10/10

Felix Rosenqvist’s name isn’t mentioned once in my race report, and shockingly, that’s a good thing. The driver would have started near the front of the pack at Gateway had it not been for an engine change penalty, but the obstacle didn’t deter him. In fact, Rosenqvist was on rails throughout the race. He didn’t put a foot wrong and eked out just about as much as he could from his machinery.

Nolan Siegel – 9/10

Nolan Siegel is something of an unknown. He started the year as an Indy NXT driver, failed to qualify for the Indy 500, and then earned a seat at Arrow McLaren thanks to his tenacity — a tenacity that showed in full force at Gateway.

Siegel was one of several drivers on an alternate pit strategy, but he had mastered it and even went wheel-to-wheel with Scott Dixon until a pit road speed violation saw him lose a shot at the win.

Marcus Armstrong – 8/10

A first top-10 oval finish for Marcus Armstrong earns him a strong score. His Chip Ganassi Racing team is going to have a tough decision to make regarding charters in the near future, but Armstrong is making a strong case to indicate he deserves the third chartered race seat.

Sting Ray Robb – 8/10

No one would have expected Sting Ray Robb to be A. J. Foyt’s highest performing driver on an oval, but the rookie had been quietly impressive all race long. He had a decent race thanks to the decision to opt for a unique strategy, and he even led some laps — just like he did at the Indy 500. Is this the sign of a great oval racer in the making?

Rinus Veekay – 8/10

Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus Veekay may not be the world’s most impressive driver, but he’s been consistent. Another top-10 at Gateway makes it four in a row for the Dutch racer — and a great result does help ease the frustration he caused when a wiggle saw multiple other drivers get caught up in a wreck.

Scott Dixon – 8.5/10

Scott Dixon was on pace to master an alternate fuel strategy — his specialty — when he pitted at just the wrong time. He was trapped two laps down when Josef Newgarden brought out a yellow flag, and he struggled to make up positions in the aftermath. Still, it was another well-managed race for Dixon.

Colton Herta – 9/10

Oh, Colton Herta — what could have been! The Andretti Global driver had a monster start to the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, launching past six cars on the opening lap alone after a crash in qualifying left him at the back of the field. Herta fought his way up to content for the win — or, at the very least, for a podium.

A near-perfect race was ruined, though, when he darted out just a little too aggressively defending against Linus Lundqvist. The rookie racer made the pass nevertheless, and Herta earned a penalty that dropped him back to the last driver on the lead lap.

Santino Ferrucci – 7.5/10

Normally strong on ovals, Santino Ferrucci had a much quieter race than normal at Gateway. No hair-raising moves or daring strategies — just a fairly straightforward race and an unfortunate penalty for speeding on the pit lane. A decent, if nondescript, event.

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Conor Daly – 8/10

Conor Daly hasn’t had a full-time race seat since 2017, but his ability to perform well with just about any car he’s given is what keeps him present as a journeyman in the IndyCar series. He’s taking Augstin Canapino’s place for the remainder of the 2024 IndyCar season, and he started off strong with a 13th place at Gateway — that perhaps could have been better had he not been collected in a few minor incidents.

Pietro Fittipaldi – 7/10

It was an all around nondescript evening for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but teammates Pietro Fittipaldi and Christian Lundgaard did manage to see the race through to its end. That’s a win in and of itself.

Christian Lundgaard – 7/10

See above.

Romain Grosjean – 7.5/10

After a strong qualifying and an even stronger start to the race, Romain Grosjean did fall off in performance — but 16th is by no means his worst oval finish of 2024. Like his Juncos Hollinger Racing teammate Conor Daly, Grosjean was also caught up in a few different incidents that nipped his race in the bud, starting with an early wing swap.

Ed Carpenter – 5/10

There should come a time in every driver’s life when he decides his skills behind the wheel have consistently paled in comparison to what they were, and that it’s time to focus on a new future. Ed Carpenter is one such driver. It’s time to turn the ovals over to someone else.

Alexander Rossi – 7.5/10

Alexander Rossi’s race was a strange one, where he vacillated between strategies. Unfortunately, coming into the final restart before the red flag on lap nine, Rossi sped up far too soon and drove up the rear of Power.

Will Power – 6.5/10

Team Penske’s Will Power looked strong for much of the race, but as the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 wound to a close, it all fell apart. First, Power clipped David Malukas as the American racer left the pits, which forced a retirement for a driver that looked strong. Then, Power was one of several drivers caught up in a restart crash with 10 laps remaining in the race. It was an unfortunate end to the race for the Aussie, but his race had been falling apart before that.

Jack Harvey – 7/10

It wasn’t a spectacular race for Jack Harvey, but it was a decent one. The Dale Coyne Racing driver was a non-factor in the race, which is a high compliment in an event that saw backmarkers being lapped several times.

David Malukas – 9/10

David Malukas has reminded us all why he was supposed to start the season with Arrow McLaren; he was racing near the front all day long, only to be wiped out by Will Power as he came out of the pits. A disappointing result, but a drive to be proud of nevertheless.

Kyle Kirkwood – 8/10

Kyle Kirkwood wasn’t able to get out of the way when Conor Daly checked up on a wiggling Rinus Veekay, and the Andretti Global driver sustained serious damage that left him in the pits for over 30 laps. Kirkwood was able to return to the track to turn some laps, ultimately retiring 12 from the end — but he did a great job of keeping his car in the mix without getting in anyone’s way.

Graham Rahal – 5/10

A nondescript day for Graham Rahal ended in a nondescript retirement with mechanical problems. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan team struggled at the rear of the field all race long.

Marcus Ericsson – 9/10

Marcus Ericsson was leading one of the two pit strategies when his engine overheated, forcing him into the pits for a retirement. The former F1 driver has struggled with his swap to Andretti Global this year, and he was the highest-running car in the team when his retirement struck.

Kyffin Simpson – 2/10

The 19-year-old Chip Ganassi driver has had a trial by fire in his rookie IndyCar season, and Kyffin Simpson struggled again at Gateway. On lap 86, he lost control of his Honda all on his own and rear-ended the wall, ending his race and throwing a monkey wrench into the fuel strategies developing in the race.

Pato O’Ward – 8/10

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward saw his race end on lap 42. A fuel leak lead to an engine failure for the Mexican racer, ending his day and perhaps also his championship hopes. However, his race was impressive until that point, as he rocketed up the field and began to put the pressure on the top five racers. Had he been able to remain on track, O’Ward would have been a force to be reckoned with at the finish.

Katherine Legge – 4/10

It’s tough to evaluate Katherine Legge’s race, which was plagued by problems with her No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing machine. Her car failed tech in qualifying, so she started the race from dead last. Contact with Ed Carpenter before the end of 10 laps saw her race end before it ever really began.

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