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at the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix.
Newgarden, 35, entered the weekend as the defending winner at the 1.33-mile concrete oval. Despite a strong front-row start of second, Newgarden was unable to lead a single lap during the 225-lap event, and ultimately spent the final 32 laps chasing Palou's rear wing before crossing the finish line 0.8731 seconds behind the winner.
The afternoon proved to be a frustrating exercise in track position for the driver of the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet. He preferred long, green-flag stretches where tire degradation typically separated the field. Instead, frequent yellow flags repeatedly reset the pack, preventing him from mounting a sustained charge.
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet; Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
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Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet; Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
"We didn't get many stints past 40 (laps)," Newgarden said. "That's why it was what it was. Once you're settled in, a shootout was going to be what it was lineup-wise. You can't give up the track position under the yellows. If we just had less yellows, that would have been ideal."
A gamble by his crew to bolt on soft alternate "red" tires for the final 32-lap shootout yielded little reward due to the clean air advantage enjoyed by the leader. Newgarden also noted that traffic and on-track impediments hampered his forward progress earlier in the day.
"I got blocked a couple times. We lost track position a couple times," Newgarden said. "It's racing. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't."
The grueling weather conditions took a severe physical toll on the field, with Newgarden looking visibly exhausted alongside fellow teammate David Malukas after the checkered flag. When asked why Palou managed to look completely unfazed by the oppressive humidity, Newgarden offered a lighthearted take on his rival.
"He's Spanish," Newgarden said. "Probably doesn't sweat as much. Not so much how you look, but genetically he doesn't sweat as much is my guess."
Despite the disappointment of missing out on a second consecutive trophy at his home track, Newgarden maintained a characteristically pragmatic outlook on the weekend.
"Yeah, it was an all right day, okay day," Newgarden said. "We had a good, fast car. Chevy did a great job. We'll take second and move on."
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