By Marshall Pruett July 25, 2022 12:52 PM
By Marshall Pruett | July 25, 2022 12:52 PM ET
Team Penske has signed Santino Ferrucci to be on standby if Josef Newgarden is not cleared to drive at this weekend’s race on the Indianapolis road course.
Newgarden, who suffered a hard rearward impact on Sunday when something failed at the back of his No.2 Team Penske Chevy while leading the second Iowa Speedway race with ease, collapsed after the race – after being examined and released by IndyCar’s medical team – and hit his head after falling to the ground.
The team announced on Sunday night that Newgarden’s brain scans revealed no damage, but he would be held overnight for observation.
Due for a checkup with IndyCar medical on Thursday, one day prior to the start of practice for the Indy event, Team Penske secured Ferrucci’s services – who is scheduled to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity race on the same weekend – in the event Newgarden is not cleared to drive.
According to the team, “Newgarden was released from MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center earlier this morning and returned to his home in Nashville. Per series protocols, Newgarden will be reevaluated by the IndyCar Medical Team on Thursday to determine his status for the Gallagher Grand Prix. Should Newgarden not be able to race, Ferrucci will take the wheel of the No.2 PPG Chevrolet.”
Josef Newgarden, Santino Ferrucci, Team Penske, IndyCar
The 2022 season marks Marshall Pruett's 36th year working in the sport. In his role today for RACER, Pruett covers open-wheel and sports car racing as a writer, reporter, photographer, and filmmaker. In his previous career, he served as a mechanic, engineer, and team manager in a variety of series, including IndyCar, IMSA, and World Challenge.
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