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NEWTON, Iowa -- You dont often see a superior performance like the one Josef Newgarden and Ed Carpenter Racing put on in the Iowa Corn 300.?Whether you were sitting in the grandstands on a beautiful afternoon at Iowa Speedway or following the action on television or the internet from home, Newgardens dominance over the Verizon IndyCar Series field was obvious.?The No. 21 ECR Chevrolet led an IndyCar record 282 of 300 laps, losing the top spot only during green-flag pit stops. At one point before halfway, Newgarden and pole winner Simon Pagenaud had lapped the rest of the 23-car field.?The combined might of Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing was unable to overcome the flying 25-year-old from Nashville, who won by 4.28 seconds over Penskes Will Power and Ganassis Scott Dixon, with IndyCar Series championship leader Pagenaud dropping to fourth.?It was Newgardens first win of the 2016 season and the third of his IndyCar career. More importantly, it moves him up to second place in the season standings, 73 points behind Pagenaud.?His accomplishment Sunday was made even more impressive when you realize that, just four weeks ago, Newgarden broke his clavicle and right wrist in a jarring accident at Texas Motor Speedway.?It was a lot of fun; the car was amazing, Newgarden remarked after his latest win. Some stints it was like a video game. You put on new tires, catch people at the right point, and you could just slice and dice. Thats a lot of credit for what weve built at this team with Ed Carpenter Racing.?We had a good car here last year, he added. We had a good shot at winning it then. We had a great race, but we were disappointed we couldnt get it done last year. We really wanted to get it done this year, and we finally got it done.?Newgarden led more than 100 laps at Iowa in 2015 but had to settle for second place in the race.?This year, with a helping hand from part-time IndyCar driver J.R. Hildebrand, Newgarden and ECR were able to be in front at the finish after running pretty much unchallenged all day.?Newgarden gave credit to Hildebrand, who stepped in after Newgardens Texas crash to run the No. 21 car in tests at Road America and Iowa. At Road America, less than two weeks after screws and plates were installed to repair the fractured clavicle, Newgarden drove from the back of the grid to an eighth-place finish.?At Iowa, he was in a league of his own.?I dont think we realize how lucky we are to have someone like him at our disposal whenever we need it, Newgarden said of Hildebrand. He put some extra spice in the setup, and we took what I think was a race-winning car last year; he made it better with his input.?Weve got a great crew and great people, he added. Im happy to get my first oval win for the team.?Remarkably, he did it while driving injured at what most drivers believe is the most physical oval on the IndyCar Series schedule. The 0.875-mile Iowa track gives drivers almost no time to rest because there really isnt much of a straight to speak of.?Newgarden admitted that he knew before the start that he might not last the 300-lap distance. Instead, he stayed in front for more than 90 percent of the laps and rarely had to extend himself.?I was really nervous coming into the race, but I didnt want to tell anybody that, he said. I cant express to you how physical this place is.?Having a great car made it easier, he continued. Man, I was surprised I could hold on. But in the first stint, I was like, This car is so good, we can clearly win it with this car. Im going to feel like an idiot if I dont get to the end. That was enough motivation for me just to get through it.?The car was so good that I couldnt let my guys down. I just tried to focus on gritting it out and getting the most out of the thing.?Dixon and Power, with five IndyCar Series championships between them, were impressed with what they saw Sunday.?I dont think anybody really had anything for Josef today, Dixon said. Huge credit to that team. They did a hell of a job. Josef deserved that big-time. Good to see him get a win.?He was on his own on another planet, Power added. They just nailed it absolutely.?Theyre a top-class team. They generally do a really good job with their resources, so full credit to them, and when you have a shunt like he had, to come back from injuries, to a physical place like this and win, full credit. He didnt test here, either.?Questions about Newgardens future have been whirling around for the past couple of years, and it seems inevitable that, at some point, Penske or Ganassi will come calling for his services.?Whether he actually will be or not, Newgarden also should be given strong consideration for a role with the Haas F1 team. Although Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi already has some limited F1 experience, Newgarden -- who also spent time racing junior formula cars in Europe -- looks like a better bet for the long term.?Jumping to a superteam such as Penske or Ganassi seems like a logical career move, but Newgarden has shown that he is capable of winning races with the tight-knit team run by owner-driver Carpenter. Newgardens belief in whether ECR can carry him to IndyCar championships likely will be a key factor in deciding his future.?Although he is well placed in the title contest this year, Newgarden knows he is likely to lose significant ground when the IndyCar Series returns to Texas on Aug. 27 to complete the race he crashed out of.?Im kind of bummed about Texas, he said. We know its coming. Thats going to push us down, and its going to be tough to swallow when we get there because thats really the only one that Im prepared that were going to lose a lot of points.?Im not too concerned about it yet, he added. Its all about making hay when you can. You have to win races. Thats the only way were going to challenge Simon, and at the end of the day well see where were at. Hopefully were close enough at Sonoma that we can challenge for a championship. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop . 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MACOMB, Ill. -- Jake Kolbe threw a career-best four touchdown passes and Anthony Warrum had two TD catches for the second consecutive game, helping Illinois State outlast Western Illinois 31-26 on Saturday.After an opening three-and-out, Kolbe found Warrum, who had seven receptions for 152 yards, for a 58-yard score. Later he connected with Anthony Fowler from 15 yards out as the Redbirds (5-5, 3-4 Missouri Valley) led 14-0 after the first quarter.Western Illinois (6-3, 3-3) scored on Lance Lenoirs 54-yard punt return and a Sean McGuire TDD pass to Jamie Gilmore in the second, sandwiched between Warrums second TD catch, this one for 50 yards.ddddddddddddAfter a Western Illinois field goal cut Illinois States lead to 21-19, Kolbes fourth TD pass -- a 7-yarder to Christian Gibbs with 3:20 left in the third -- increased the Redbirds cushion to 28-19.McGuires second TD pass in the fourth quarter cut the lead 31-26. He finished with 312 yards passing. ' ' '