Newgarden Says Contact Caused Turn 1 Crash At Long Beach

LONG BEACH, CA – Josef Newgarden has watched replays of his crash with Dario Franchitti at Long Beach and is certain he’d do nothing differently.

The 21-year-old rookie started on the front row of Sunday’s race next to the four-time IndyCar champion. Newgarden made a bold move to pass Franchitti on the outside and ended up in a tire barrier. The crash ended his race.

Franchitti said after the race he didn’t think he had contact with Newgarden, and IndyCar officials said replays were inconclusive. Franchitti was not penalized.

But Newgarden says he’s 100 percent sure Franchitti hit him. Had Newgarden successfully completed the pass, it could have been a breakthrough moment in his career. He feels he did everything right and would have executed the pass if not for the hit from Franchitti.