INDYCAR TITLE RACE FLIPS TO O’WARD ON NEWGARDEN WIN

The Indycar championship flipped leaders Saturday night when Alex Palou was collected in an early three-car accident that moved Pato O’ward to the point after a runner-up finish to Josef Newgarden at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.

Newgarden won for the second time this season — third time of his career at Gateway — and beat O’ward to the finish line by 0.5397 seconds. Will Power was third and Scott Mclaughlin fourth to put three Team Penske drivers in the top four, and Sebastien Bourdais rounded out the top five in a Chevrolet sweep.

Newgarden led 138 of the 260 laps and jumped from fifth to third in the crowded points race. He trails O’ward by 22 points.

“We’ve got to keep going,” Newgarden said. “We know this is going to be a climb.”

O’ward finished second, but claimed the points lead for the second time this season. He was 52 points behind Palou two races ago, but Palou’s engine failure last week sliced it to 21 headed into Saturday night. Then Palou was part of a three-car accident early in the race that put O’ward on cruise control.

The 22-year-old Mexican played it safe, avoided the carnage that knocked nine of the 24 cars from the race, and snagged his fifth podium of the season.

“I think people know who they can race dirty. I had a lot to lose today and they know that,” O’ward said. He then speculated that the way Alexander Rossi raced him on a restart might have caused the crash that collected rival Palou.

“I was fully alongside Rossi and he just, I guess he doesn’t look in his left mirror here, and he just turned in,” O’ward said. “So I had to slam on the brakes so I didn’t crash. And then Marcus (Ericsson) had to as well because we were going three-wide and I am assuming that is what caused the check-up behind for sure, because even for me it was very, very sudden and pretty aggressive.”

Harvick’s track

NASCAR’S stop in Brooklyn, Mich., today has been a one-man show recently.

Kevin Harvick has won four of the last five here, including each of the last three races held on the 2-mile oval.

If Harvick makes it four in a row, he would lock up a playoff spot — and tie Bill Elliott’s record for most consecutive race victories at Michigan. Harvick, who won the 2014 Cup title, also owns the most wins (five) among active drivers on the track and, like Denny Hamlin, is still seeking his first win in 2021.

He’s 15th in the points heading into this week and also could clinch a playoff spot based on points — if there’s a repeat winner or a winner who is ineligible for the postseason.

Elsewhere

AJ Allmendinger took the lead with four laps left in regulation and held on through three overtimes Saturday to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Michigan International Speedway.

Brittany Force took the No. 1 spot in Top Fuel qualifying for the fifth straight event in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway. Bob Tasca III was the fastest in Funny Car with a 3.870 at 334.15 in a Ford Mustang.

Defending series champion Sheldon Creed won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff opener Friday night with a dominating run at Gateway in Madison, Ill.