Newgarden given all-clear to race

Josef Newgarden will start fifth in Saturday’s IndyCar race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after series officials cleared him to qualify. The 31-year-old advanced to the final group of six qualifiers less than two hours after doctors examined him. Newgarden responded by easily advancing through the first two rounds and then completed the track’s 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course in 1 minute, 10.6968 seconds. Felix Rosenquist won his second pole of the season with a time of 1:10.2265. Newgarden’s status for the race had been unclear until Friday after a crash last weekend at Iowa. At the time, he was leading the race and in position to sweep the two Iowa races when his suspension apparently broke and sent him spinning hard into the wall. Physicians at the infield care center cleared Newgarden following the crash, but he later collapsed in his motorhome and hit the back of his head. He was airlifted from the track to a nearby hospital. On Thursday, series officials said Newgarden could practice — with the stipulation he be rechecked after Friday morning’s practice. He posted the second-fastest time in practice.