Linus appeared to have swept to victory in a thrilling Indy Lights race at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, only for a subsequent penalty to deny him of his first-ever oval win…
The race came to a head when Linus made contact with Matthew Brabham while battling for the lead on lap 71 of 75, with Brabham inflicting front wing damage and Linus going on to seal victory.
However, the stewards later handed Linus a three-place penalty for his part in the incident, demoting him to fourth. Pole-sitter Hunter McElrea, whom Linus had previously overtaken on a restart to snatch the lead, was instead declared the winner.
LINUS: “Ah, such a shame – but a great race nonetheless. It was a close fight with Matt. I got a little bit loose through Turn 1, and I saw that he was behind me, but I got a ‘clear’ from my spotter so I switched my lane. Unfortunately I think my rear just touched his front nose. It’s inch-perfect on ovals, and I put my trust in the spotter. Sorry to Matt for the incident – but I think the message was clear this weekend. We are definitely able to win on ovals, too.”
Despite the penalty, Linus retains a solid lead in the overall standings leaving Iowa, now sitting 77 points clear of new runner-up McElrea.
More to follow in a post-event press release.
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