Australian star Will Power’s chance at securing a first race win of the 2020 IndyCar season was spoiled by a late pit stop with a Team Penske teammate taking victory instead.

Power had a real shot at winning the race at Gateway until his final pit stop, when he was slowed behind Ed Carpenter as both cars drove down pit lane.

Power finished third behind winner Josef Newgarden with rookie Pato O’Ward second as a late caution forced the race to end.

Power, who is eighth in the driver standings, was pleased to get on the podium but was left aggravated by the result.

“We had a very good car, I thought we had the car to win but obviously it’s a traffic game,” Power said.

“We certainly have had a lot of potential this year, it’s a very strange year.”

In the second of two weekend races at the short oval outside of St. Louis, it was Indianapolis 500 champion Takuma Sato who brought out the caution with four laps remaining when he hit the wall.

The pace car picked up the field with three laps remaining and IndyCar did not have enough time to restart the race.

It denied O’Ward a chance to challenge Newgarden, who won for the second time this year and 16th time in his career and closed the points deficit on championship leader Scott Dixon.

New Zealander Dixon won on Saturday in the first race of the Gateway doubleheader and has four victories in nine IndyCar races this season.

He was fifth on Sunday.

Rinus VeeKay finished fourth and was met after the race by Colton Herta, who finished sixth but was angry at how the rookie had raced him late – the pair exchanging words post race.

“I really don’t have too much fun driving against him,” Herta said, noting the 19 year old “still has a lot too learn.”