Double points IndyCar finale makes Newgarden lead 'uncomfortable'
IndyCar leader Josef Newgarden says he is not "very comfortable" heading into the final round with a 41-point margin over prime rival Alexander Rossi given the series' double points system

Usually an IndyCar race win awards 50 points, but the bigger score available for Laguna Seca later this month means Andretti Autosport driver Rossi can still overcome his Penske rival by winning with Newgarden outside the top five.
At Portland last week both drivers suffered disappointing qualifying sessions - Rossi lining up seventh, Newgarden 13th - but they recovered to finish third and fifth respectively.
"We just need to have a better weekend in Laguna," said 2017 champion Newgarden.
"Obviously, it's still going to be quite tough with the double points.
"If it wasn't double points I think it would be a lot easier, but double points is going to make it difficult.
"Sixty [points lead] would have been better. Well, really 70. Seventy would have been nice. Heck, 90. Ninety would have been lovely!
"No, it's honestly not enough with double points. It's just not. I don't think we're very comfortable."
Newgarden, who has scored four wins this year to Rossi's two, said he does not expect any team to arrive at Laguna Seca with an advantage because it is a new venue for most of the drivers and many current personnel.

A test on the Thursday before the race, which will be the first at Laguna Seca to feature Indycars since 2004 (pictured above), effectively turns the finale into a four-day event.
"Because we have test days there coming up before the race weekend, it kind of equals out for everybody," he said.
"I don't think anyone has an advantage.
"With it being new, I don't know that that helps us. It brings more unknowns. I think it's more of a variable that it's a brand new circuit essentially because it's been so long since we've been there.
"New car, new tyres - it's all different from last time. It's essentially a new circuit. We don't really know what it's going to bring.
"I don't think that helps us; I think it's a wildcard if anything.
"We'll just take all the time we can to get better and talk about it and research it and just try and be prepared for when we show up.
"The Thursday helps a lot. We've got a full test day there before the weekend. That kind of gives you a lot of time to get in the mode that you need to be for the finale."

SPM's Schmidt thinks Ericsson "pretty pissed" at F1 Spa events
Montoya's memories of a lost rival and rising star

Latest news
Cosworth: F1 return not on radar despite Ford's comeback
Cosworth is not considering a future return to Formula 1 despite former partner Ford’s comeback with Red Bull in 2026, saying it “hasn’t been a focus.”
Ekstrom joins World RX as sporting director for 2023 season
One-time World RallyCross Championship title-winner Mattias Ekstrom will join the series promoter as sporting director ahead of its second season of its full-electric regulations.
FIA president Ben Sulayem steps back from day-to-day F1 operations
The FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stepped back from the day-to-day running of Formula 1 ahead of the new season.
Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence
OPINION: Motor racing still has some way to go to usurp cricket as India's favourite sporting discipline. The long-awaited return of international motorsport to the country this weekend with the Hyderabad E-Prix is an important step in the right direction, but it will take more than Formula E's arrival to cause a true shift
Nigel Mansell’s greatest F1 and Indycar drives
It’s 30 years since Mansell won the Formula 1 world title and then headed off to do battle in America. Here are his best races – and the Briton’s memories of them
How Ericsson achieved Indy immortality as Ganassi's main man stumbled
Chip Ganassi Racing team was strong again in the Indianapolis 500, with poleman Scott Dixon and reigning champion Alex Palou leading almost three quarters of the race between them. But when dominator Dixon was penalised for pitlane speeding, ex-Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson stepped up to score the biggest win of his career and seize the IndyCar points lead
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
In an enthralling 2021 IndyCar campaign, the series bounced back from its COVID-19 truncated year prior and Alex Palou defeated both the established order and his fellow young guns to clinch a maiden title. It capped a remarkable season with plenty of standout performers
How F1's other IndyCar exile finally unlocked his potential
Romain Grosjean's swashbuckling rookie year in IndyCar captured the imagination of many in 2021. But another ex-Formula 1 driver whose potential was masked by five years of toil in, at best, middling machinery also enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 - winning twice and finishing sixth in points. Here's how Marcus Ericsson finally delivered on his promise
How Ganassi's relentless new champion outfoxed IndyCar's best
IndyCar sophomore Alex Palou stunned by overcoming team-mate Scott Dixon and the rest of a white-hot field in 2021. He was consistently fast and crucially showed a level head, rebounding well from setbacks to put himself in a near unassailable position entering the final round
Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCar’s next winning match-up?
Despite appearing to have an IndyCar job for life with Meyer Shank Racing, Jack Harvey’s departure and move to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing sparked plenty of debate. However, Harvey's and RLL's combined strengths could prove to be a winning combination - if they get the balance right
Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing IndyCar win
Saturday 16 October marks the 10th anniversary of Dan Wheldon’s death. David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute, then asks Wheldon’s race engineer from 2011, Todd Malloy, to recall that magical second victory at the Indianapolis 500
Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting
Kyle Kirkwood, the record-setting junior formula driver, sealed the Indy Lights championship last weekend. But despite an absurdly strong junior career and scholarship money, his next move is far from clear
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.