NEWTON, Iowa – Some of the best stories in sports are those that go from “worst to first.” Teams that have finished with the worst record the previous season, then go on to win the championship the very next year. As Pagenaud was about to go out on his qualification attempt, his engine would not start. Without posting a speed, Pagenaud had to start last in Friday night’s 250-lap race. He will also start last in Saturday night’s second race of the Iowa INDYCAR 250s. He made up 10 positions before he pitted for the first time on Lap 59. “All of the sudden, they said, ‘You are the leader,’” Pagenaud said. “It was not the qualifying we wanted because we had a car for both poles,” Pagenaud said. But it was 26 laps of running under caution that allowed Pagenaud’s strategy to work.

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