New York (AFP)
Australian Will Power won Sunday a Pocono 500 abbreviated by a storm and when the American Josef Newgarden, who came 5th, increased his lead in the IndyCar Championship standings.
The race was stopped by the organizers because of the thunderstorm after 128 of the 200 laps scheduled on the Pocono Raceway circuit in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Power, who was leading at the time, was declared the winner. New Zealander Scott Dixon is 2nd, Frenchman Simon Pagenaud 3rd, American Santino Ferrucci 4th and Newgarden 5th.
Will Power had already won at Pocono in 2016 and 2017 and he was 2nd in 2018. This is the 13th season in a row where the Australian wins one of the IndyCar Championship events.
The start of Sunday's race was marked by a spectacular accident that involved five of the 22 competitors including American Alexander Rossi.
Rossi saw his hopes for the title suffered a setback, despite a start in the front row.
The accident, which occurred in the first lap, did not cause serious injury. The Swede Felix Rosenquist was examined in a hospital which he left shortly thereafter.
In the IndyCar rankings for the season, Josef Newgarden is gaining first place ahead of Alexander Rossi (2nd) and Simon Pagenaud (3rd), winner in May of the 500 miles of Indianapolis.
Pocono 500:
1. Will Power (AUS) 128 laps in 1 hr 53 min 45.8296 sec
2. Scott Dixon (NZL) at 5.4688
3. Simon Pagenaud (FRA) same lap
4. Santino Ferrucci (USA) same lap
5. Josef Newgarden (USA) same lap
...
IndyCar ranking after 14 out of 17 events:
1. Josef Newgarden (USA) 535 points
2. Alexander Rossi (USA) 500
3. Simon Pagenaud (FRA) 495
4. Scott Dixon (NZL) 483
5. Will Power (AUS) 407
...
js / bb / plh / rock
© 2019 AFP