Sato Fights Back to Finish 18th in Portland

dalecoynepr on September 4, 2022

Portland, OR (Sunday, September 4, 2022) – Takuma Sato (#51 Nurtec ODT- Dale Coyne Racing with RWR) had a bit of an up and down day at the Grand Prix of Portland but at the end of the day he crossed the finished line in 18th place.

Started: 22nd
Finished: 18th

  • Sato maintained his position at the start of the race and spent the majority of his first two stints in 22nd and 23rd position.
  • Following his second pit stop on Lap 54, he climbed up to 21st and he was running 18th after his final stop on Lap 79.
  • A full course caution then came out on Lap 84 and Sato received a penalty for not packing up quickly enough, so he had to give up three positions, which put him back in 21st place.
  • Not one to give up, Sato continued to push and was once again running 18th by the time he crossed the finish line.
  • In 16 races this season, Sato has a best finish of fifth (World Wide Technology Raceway) and a best starting position of second on the streets of Detroit this year.

Career facts:

  • Has six INDYCAR SERIES wins (2013 – Long Beach; 2017 – Indy 500; 2018 – Portland; 2019 – Barber, Gateway: 2020 – Indy 500)
  • 10 poles (2011 – Iowa, Edmonton; 2013 – Houston Race 1; 2014 – St. Pete, Detroit Race 2; 2017 – Detroit Race 2, Pocono; 2019 – Barber, Texas; 2020 St. Louis Race 2)

Takuma Sato #51 Nurtec ODT Honda – Dale Coyne Racing with RWR
“The Portland race had some good sides and some not so good sides. We were hoping to have more yellows and were aiming for a two-stop strategy at the very, very beginning. But when we got to about 10 -15 laps in, we realized it wasn’t going to work so we went back to full power. At that time our car was working well, and we passed some cars. The 51 boys did great pit stops and helped me gain some positions as well. However, under the yellow we were told that we didn’t pack up quickly enough. That wasn’t our intention, but we got a penalty and that sent us back three places. In the end, we ended up 18th, it wasn’t ideal, but the team is working really hard. Hopefully we have a stress free, penalty free, good weekend at Laguna Seca.”

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