IndyCar Bommarito Odds Preview: Newgarden Goes for Hattrick

Josef Newgarden returns to the Gateway Motorsports Park or the World Wide Technology Raceway looking to win for the third straight time. The IndyCar Bommarito odds favor him quite significantly as he holds a big edge over Patricio “Pato” O’Ward and the field. Newgarden has won at the Raceway three times. Winning here will put him right back in the thick of the IndyCar standings.

2022 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Information

• Race: Bommarito Automotive Group 500
• Location: World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Illinois
• Day/Time: Saturday, August 20, 6:00 p.m.
• Television: NBC/Peacock

Newgarden Races for Your Money

Josef Newgarden remains the favorite among those who bet on IndyCar. Never mind that the two-time champion has struggled in his recent races. A return to the track he’s had the good fortune in should dispel these woes. The 31-year-old last won the first part at Iowa but a crash, followed by a concussion, has hindered him.

In the last race in Nashville, Newgarden finished sixth but not without controversy. He made a daring attempt during the final parts of the race but collided with Romain Grosjean and took him out of the race. The two then bickered over it on social media.

Grosjean lamented about it in the post-race interview: “Welcome to IndyCar. It gets tight. You know he’s been on a worse end of that. I don’t know what to tell him, you know,” Newgarden said to which Grosjean replied: “You know, probably gonna need to have some discussion with some of the younger guys. But, they’re just, they’re aggressive. They’re very aggressive. And if you’re not aggressive back, then you get run over. So that’s IndyCar racing.”

Newgarden was also quick to banter with Grosjean over on social media: “How so? What are your credentials? Oh wait, don’t care.”, he tweeted.

You love to see it (unless you’re a Grosjean fan). While it was clearly Newgarden’s fault, drivers like Marcus Ericsson and Scott McLaughlin enjoyed seeing what had transpired. This type of ruthless mentality is likely why the Tennessean is a favorite both from a fan perspective and from the IndyCar Bommarito odds.

O’Ward, Herta, McLaughlin: Who Wins Their First at Gateway?

Outside of Newgarden, there is a slew of contenders racing for first. O’Ward leads the field at 5-1 on the IndyCar Bommarito odds board. The Mexican has consistently been the runner-up at Gateway finishing second last year and in 2020. He’s tumbled down the driver standings thanks to finishing outside the top 10 in Gallagher and Nashville.

Colton Herta, who sits in 10th in the driver standings, is fourth on the odds table. He’s had three top-10 finishes at Gateway but finished 18th last year. He won the GMR Grand Prix and finished second in Toronto. He’s been the definition of a streaky driver as he’s a dark horse when he’s on, but a longshot when he isn’t.

Last but not least is Newgarden’s Team Penske teammate, Scott McLaughlin. He’s just outside of the top five in the driver standings but a win here will push him closer to his buddy. McLaughlin won St. Petersburg, the season’s first race, and Mid-Ohio. He finished second in Nashville. In his debut at Gateway last year, he finished fourth.

Power vs Dixon: Who’s in a Better Spot to Win Another?

Will Power, the current leader in the standings, is at 6-1. He won the 2018 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 and set several records in 2017 with the fastest single-lap and two-lap qualifying average. The Australian just missed the top 10 in Nashville but his 10 top-10 finishes are second only to Scott Dixon.

The Kiwi is just six points behind his Australian counterpart. He won Nashville and Toronto and has finished in the top 10 in every race but the Indianapolis 500. At 14-1, Dixon stands with an outside chance to upset the likes of Newgarden and Power. He’s finished on the podium at Gateway in three of his last six attempts.

Dixon has been an opportunistic driver. He was the benefactor of some of the crashes in Nashville. He’s the most-winningest driver in IndyCar Series history for a reason.