Josef Newgarden hails IndyCar Laguna Seca qualifying as "big step forward" for Penske

Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden has praised his team after he managed to get into the Fast Six and qualify in fourth for today's race at Laguna Seca.

Newgarden seemed to be struggling with the car on Friday which he ended stuck in the gravel at the top of the Corkscrew after a spin. 

Not confident in the car's setup, Newgarden explained that his team worked hard to get the car in the position that he could be one of the fastest on track on Saturday.

"That was a big step forward from the team", Newgarden praised, "They were here working all night trying to give us something different. We learned a lot just over the day so [I'm] really proud of our team."

Newgarden continued to explain that the team made the decision to use his only new red tyres, the soft compound, in his first run in the Fast Six but found that he just didn't have the pace to keep up with front three.

Setting a lap time of 1:09.6695, Newgarden was over a second slower than Palou's 1:08.3413 and eight tenths of Colton Herta who will start in third.

Despite the lack of pace, Newgarden was satisfied to just be in the Fast Six.

Newgarden explained: "We sacrificed our Reds in that first run there so we just weren't quick enough. 

"We gave that up for the fast six here but to get to the fast six was a big gain for all of us."

The multiple world champion has reached the Fast Six six times out of the possible fourteen chances.

His only pole this year came at his favourite track, Iowa Speedway, where he started at the front of the grid for the Synk 275.

His average qualifying position this year has been 12th.