Helio Castroneves was unable to convert his 50th career pole position into a victory at Road America on Sunday, with the veteran Brazilian being forced to settle for the bottom step of the podium.
The Team Penske driver maintained the lead at the start but found himself shuffled down behind both Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden during the pit stop cycles, with both able to go that extra lap that gave them track position.
Castroneves has been around long enough to know that days like this do happen, and he wants to readdress this result with a strong outing at Iowa Speedway in two weeks time.
“The REV Group Chevy was good, especially in the beginning,” admitted Castroneves. “I was taking it easy and saving fuel, a lot of fuel actually. When we put the blacks (Firestone primary tires) on, I knew it was going to be rough.
“At the end of the race Scott (Dixon) did a good job saving fuel and going a lap farther. They were fast, for sure, and it’s a shame because our car was really good without question. But when you battle this close with everyone it’s the difference of one small detail.
“At the end of the day, it was a good day for the points championship. It’s kind of disappointing that Team Penske didn’t get the win here today considering how strong all of the cars were. That’s the way it goes sometimes. We’ll come back ready to go for Iowa.”
