INDIANAPOLIS — Josef Newgarden has had a miserable race weekend thus far at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The reigning Indy 500 champion was just 24th and 14th in Friday’s double practice session and only qualified his No. 2 Dallara-Chevrolet in 19th. As a result, they elected to change his engine prior to Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix (2 p.m. ET, USA, INDYCAR Radio Network).

He’ll now roll off 25th instead.

Newgarden enters the race 84 points behind Alex Palou for the points lead and if he can’t cut into that deficit in today’s 85 lap race, then his title hopes could be dashed.

While the next race is at the World Wide Technology Raceway oval in two weeks, a spot that Newgarden has won three straight at and is a perfect 4-for-4 on ovals this season, anything gained there could fall short in a comeback bid by being too far behind.

Palou rolls off eighth on Saturday as he moves up a spot due to a grid penalty for Jack Harvey.

Palou was 3rd in May 2021, had a fast car in May 2022 before going off course in the rain, had a podium going before his engine blew in Aug. 2021 and won by 16.8-seconds this past May.

Newgarden has just 1 podium in 13 Indy road course tries too. Out of his last five Indy road course races, he’s led just two laps. He was seventh in May. On natural road courses this season, he’s finished 15th, 7th and 2nd respectively.

54 points is a max points day. That means as we sit, over the next 3 races, Newgarden has to make up 30 points on Palou or this race is o-v-e-r.

Palou has finished 5th, 5th, 1st, 4th, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 8th, 3rd, 3rd over the last 11 races. Newgarden has finished 9th, 15th, 7th, 1st, 10th, 2nd, 12th, 5th, 1st, 1st, 4th himself.