INDIANAPOLIS — Roger Penske has seen his fair share of Indianapolis 500 winners. Coming into Sunday’s 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500, Penske had 18 wins, 18 poles and 18 pit stop competition victories. The problem is, since he’s taken the keys to this place in 2020, he’s not been relevant.

Prior to owning the place, literally, he OWNED this place. Simon Pagenaud in 2019 gave Penske their third win in the last five years including two consecutively.

However, in the three years since, no wins, no poles, no front row starts, just 19 laps led. They weren’t even competitive.

Now, they are again.

Despite not having a top 10 starter on a nice spring day in Central Indiana, Josef Newgarden made the most significant position advancement in the field today, 16 positions, to claim his Indianapolis 500 victory. He was 0-for-12 prior.

“I think Newgarden showed what he’s really made of today,” Penske said. “He was, I think, confident but yet cautious there at the end, and when it was time to go he made it happen. We can’t thank him enough from the team.”

Newgarden made a great late race move on the backstretch on the final lap to beat Marcus Ericsson in the fourth closest finish in Indy 500 history (.0974-seconds).

“Obviously he’s (Newgarden) shown throughout his career that he’s a championship-caliber driver, and he’s wanted this place so bad that it was kind of going to be checkers or wreckers there at the end. You kind of knew that,” said Tim Cindric.

Newgarden led five laps. The only winners to lead fewer laps were Joe Dawson, who led two in 1912, and Dan Wheldon, who led one lap in 2011.

Newgarden is also the first American driver to win the Indianapolis 500 since Alexander Rossi in 2016. He’s the ninth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 at age 32. The last was Dan Wheldon in 2011.

This is the 10th Indianapolis 500 victory for car No. 2. The last came in 2015, with Juan Pablo Montoya winning for Team Penske.

Newgarden is Penske’s first American to win here since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006 and the second since Al Unser Jr. in 1994.

This is also Newgarden’s 24th win with Team Penske which ranks fourth all-time. He trails just Will Power (38), Helio Castroneves (30) and Rick Mears (29).

In five seasons with Ed Carpenter Racing, Newgarden scored three wins, 10 podiums, won just one pole and led 679 laps. In his seventh season now with Penske, Newgarden has 24 wins, 39 podiums, 15 poles and has led 2,863 laps.