“I’m a man of my word, I wanted to get it done for him,” O’Ward said.
O’Ward caught him in Turn 7 with a little over two laps to go and Newgarden tried to use his experience to run O’Ward down to the marbles.
“In my head, the two guys that I’m fighting the championship with are in front of me, and I was not going to be pleased if we ended behind them,” O’Ward said.
O’Ward, who earned his first career victory last month, took a 1-point lead over Palou in the championship standings.
O’Ward had been promised by Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, a Formula One test for his first IndyCar victory.
“I think it’s the right medicine,” Kiel said.
“If I had the answer I’d be doing it,” Newgarden said.
This time it was a Newgarden runaway until Romain Grosjean brought out a late caution with a brake fire and tried to put it out himself.
Small flames spit up from his right tire and he hurriedly climbed from the car, then wildly looked for the safety crew for assistance.
The safety truck arrived at the same time Grosjean was rushing toward his car, extinguisher engaged, but the professionals pushed him aside.