Herta wins Laguna Seca, Newgarden holds on for IndyCar title

Colton Herta has emulated his father Bryan Herta by winning at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series finale, as Josef Newgarden secures the drivers’ title with eighth place.

The 19-year-old rookie converted his third pole position of the season in a perfectly-executed race to see off a late attack from Will Power to clinch victory by 0.5878s. Herta picks up his second win of his rookie IndyCar campaign following up his earlier success at Circuit of the Americas - while repeating his father’s success at Laguna Seca having claimed victory in 1998 and 1999.

But Newgarden walks away with the biggest prize by clinching the 2019 IndyCar drivers’ crown having kept clear of danger to take a low-key eighth place and with it enough points to keep clear of this year’s Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud.

Newgarden, who follows up his 2017 IndyCar title, started from fourth position and produced a conservative drive led by his Team Penske squad.

With Power having to take second place at Laguna Seca behind Herta, further back Scott Dixon held off Pagenaud to complete the podium at the 2019 finale.

Felix Rosenqvist produced the drive of the day to surge to fifth place from 14^th on the grid for Chip Ganassi Racing and seal the rookie of the year honour ahead of Herta.

Alexander Rossi’s own IndyCar title bid came up short as he struggled through the pit stop cycles as he dropped to sixth place at the chequered flag for Andretti Autosport.

Sebastien Bourdais opted for the alternative strategy to use the faster tyre in the final stint to surge to seventh place for the Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan ahead of newly-crowned champion Newgarden.

James Hinchcliffe capped his campaign for Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in ninth place despite suffering with a neck injury as Ryan Hunter-Reay rounded out the top 10 for Andretti Autosport.

Conor Daly triggered the sole full course yellow when he spun after colliding with Marco Andretti on Lap 46, while at the race restart Santino Ferrucci locked up his brakes at Turn 2 and clattered into Takuma Sato which sent the rookie out of the race with damage.