MONTEREY, Calif. -- Josef Newgarden won his second championship in three years with a smooth drive in the IndyCar season finale, where he played it safe and watched rookie Colton Herta dominate the road course at Laguna Seca.
Newgarden needed only to finish fourth or better to give Roger Penske his 16th IndyCar title and his drive clearly indicated he wouldn't get aggressive and risk throwing it away. The American from Tennessee finished eighth Sunday -- good enough to beat teammate Simon Pagenaud by 25 points in the championship race.