Newgarden, Ericsson, Ferrucci generate surprising stats at Indy

Josef Newgarden’s triumph in the Indianapolis 500, and the fight over second and third, created some fascinating statistics that are part of the fabric of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Scott Richards, a Speedway employee, has run the numbers and discovered some more stats beyond Newgarden scoring Team Penske’s 19th Indy 500 triumph and becoming the first Tennessee native to drink the milk.

In his 12th start, Newgarden has become the most experienced first-time 500 winner since Tony Kanaan in 2013, and the most experienced American-born first-time winner since Sam Hanks in 1957.

That long experience is reflected by his other IndyCar stats. With 186 previous IndyCar starts, Newgarden is the second most experienced driver to win his first 500 (Kanaan was in his 262nd start in 2013).

And with 26 previous IndyCar Series wins, no other driver has scored more IndyCar wins before achieving their first 500 victory.

After his strong and methodical climb t

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