Tag: Josef Newgarden

The Long and Winding Road to Victory

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It is a gross understatement to say Josef Newgarden has had a difficult 2025. Penalties, mechanical failures, and accidents kept him mired in the bottom half of the points all season long. The entire Penske team had been in the doldrums all year. On the final day of his most arduous season, Newgarden finally won a race.

The victory in front of his hometown fans was not an easy one in a race that had more twists and turns than the Minotaur’s labyrinth.

“It was not an easy race. I mean, I did not have the car where I wanted it to start right away,” Newgarden said.

“Like, okay, we’re nowhere where we need to be. Let’s just be patient. And we kind of did our thing, like we always do. We just assessed everybody. We hung in there and we went when we needed to go, and we got the car within a really good spot. Now we gotta race with the car, so let’s close the deal. “

Pole sitter Pato O’Ward looked like he would dominate the race. he had by far the fastest car early and had no trouble getting through lapped traffic. But on lap 126, O’Ward hit the wall coming off turn 2, and the lead was fair game for anyone. Nine drivers led the race after O’Ward dropped out.

Newgarden first took the lead on lap 147, and he did not lead again until he passed McLaughlin with 20 laps left to win and keep his 10 year winning streak alive.

The race featured position battles at the front all day. Alex Palou and O’Ward battled side by side for the lead early. David Malukas also challenged for the lead until he was taken out of the race in an incident with Louis Foster.

Scott McLaughlin and Kyffin Simpson engaged in a fierce fight for third place in the final 10 laps, with Mclaughlin getting past Simpson with a lap to go.

Notes

Louis Foster won the Rookie of the Year by two points over Robert Shwartzman. Shwartzman finished 14th and Foster ended the day in 20th. A blocking penalty on lap 220 cost Shwartzman the two spots he needed to win the honor.

Will Power will meet with Roger Penske tomorrow. He finished 21st today after a pit penalty.

Today’s race ended with the top three positions in doubt, the final podium spot not decided until the final lap. There were great battles throughout the field with a lot of side by side racing.

The IndyCar season concluded with two great oval races, yet next year’s schedule will likely have one less oval race.

That will wrap it up for me at Nashville. I will have more thoughts on the race tomorrow, and a report on Alex Palou’s press availability. Thanks for following along this weekend.

Newgarden Tops Practice

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Josef Newgarden led the pre qualifying practice this morning at the Milwaukee Mile with a lap of 161. 0066 mph. Only six cars posted speeds above 160 mph.

Newgarden will be 10th out for qualifying, which may not be ideal for winning the pole. Qualifying order is at the end of this post.

Louis Foster lost an engine after only three laps. He just received a nine grid spot penalty.

Three caution periods for a total of more than 30 minutes caused IndyCar to extend the session so cars got the full time in.

Next up is qualifying at 1 pm Central on FS1.

Notes

The track has improved some things from 2024. The pit/paddock pass redemption area is much more efficient. Last year the line started on the tunnel walkway and clogged traffic. Two booths and a cordoned line off the tunnel exit has allowed traffic to move smoothly and the lines move much quicker.

Grandstand entrances seem better organized as well with covered entries to each section.

All the food stands and bars areopen, giving he midway the festival atmosphere that every race should have. The infrastructure helps create the environment.

Many fans are wearing throwback shirts. So far I have spotted a Jimmy Bryan shirt, one with a leader Cards logo, several Al Unser styles. The FOX pit reporters are all wearing throwback shirts as well. If ever a track screamed “Have a Throwback Race,” Milwaukee is it.

Results

Qualifying Order

Iowa Qualifying: Poles for Newgarden, Palou

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Team Penske regained a little bit of their luster as Josef Newgarden took pole for this afternoon’s race 1 at Iowa Speedway. Alex Palou nipped Felix Rosenqvist on the last qualifying lap of the day for the pole for race 2.

All was not perfect for Team Penske, however, as Scott McLaughlin crashed on his first qualifying lap. He will start 27th today and tomorrow.

Some drivers not normally in the qualifying conversations had strong runs this afternoon. Conor Daly starts second today and seventh tomorrow. The Foyt drivers, Santino Ferrucci and David Malukas, share row five this afternoon. Malukas rolls off third Sunday.

Felix Rosenqvist held the pole for race 2 until Palou turned the fastest lap of the day on his second lap. Palou’s speed of 184.014 mph was faster than Newgarden’s first lap by 0.015 mph, 0.014 of a second.

Race 1 starts at 4:20 pm Central, FOX coming on air at 4pm (5 pm Eastern.)

Interesting stat- Palou starts fourth today, and Newgarden starts fourth tomorrow.

Results

Race 1

Race 2

Nothing New at the Front

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Kyle Kirkwood turned the fastest lap in today’s only practice session for Sunday’s XPel GP at Road America. Kirkwood edged Devlin deFrancesco by0.1533 seconds and Will Power by 0.1914 seconds. Kirkwood has won the last two races, but he faces a stiff challenge from the Team Penske cars this weekend. All three Chevy powered drivers were within three tenths of a second or less of Kirkwood.

Two red flags interrupted practice. Santino Ferrucci went off course and needed a tow in. With less than five minutes remaining Alexander Rossi sopun in turn 1 and ended up in the sand trap. Less than a minute remained when the green was thrown.

In a post practice media availability Newgarden showed no ill effects from his crash at Gateway last Sunday. he attributed it to bad timing.

“I had nowhere to go,” he said.

Newgarden said that if fans want to see what an IndyCar can do, IMS and Road America are the two tracks that show the performance of the cars.

Notes

Team Penske cars looked very strong, finishing today third, fourth, and sixth.

The new bridge is very nice and much safer than the old tunnel. I have said since my first trip here in2016 that the tunnel was dangerous and needed to be either all pedestrians or all vehicles. It is now pedestrians only.

Heatb will be a factor tomorrow and Sunday. Some teams had hybrid issues in the heat at Thermal. Both Newgarden and Felix Rosenqvist don does not anticipate any issues this weekend.

Results

That will do it for me for today. Thanks for following along. I’ll be back tomorrow with morning practice results and qualifying groups. All sessions are on FS1 tomorrow.

Day 3 Complete- Qualifying Sims and a Wall Scrape

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Josef Newgarden set quick time early at 226.632, followed by Scott Dixon and Conor Daly.

Several cars made qualifying simulation runs today, and tomorrow everyone will make qualifying practice when the boost is turned up.

Christian Rasmussen brought out the first yellow flag of the week. He lost the rear of his car in turn 2, scraped the wall and came to rest in the infield.

Payo O’Ward and Conor Daly think that Andretti cars, especially Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood, could be pole contenders.

Santino Ferrucci continues to struggle. He ran just 16 laps today. Graham Rahal also is not finding speed. He was the slowest car on track today.

Results

Back-to-Back Winner Newgarden Unveils 109th Indianapolis 500 Ticket in Two City Celebration 

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From IMS:

 INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, March 6, 2025) – Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Josef Newgarden celebrated Southwest Airlines’ first nonstop flight from Indianapolis to Nashville when he unveiled the ticket for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Thursday, March 6 at Indianapolis International Airport (IND).
Newgarden earned his second victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” last May and became just the sixth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in consecutive years. He powered the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet to the back-to-back victory with another last-lap pass.
One of the many honors bestowed upon the winner is unveiling the ticket for the next year’s race. Featuring the winning driver on the next year’s “500” ticket dates to Mauri Rose’s appearance in 1948.
Nashville native Newgarden pushed a button to unveil a larger-than-life digital rendering of the colorful ticket in Civic Plaza, IND’s community gathering area. From there, Newgarden and INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles engaged with Southwest passengers and race fans at the gate as they boarded the flight from Indianapolis to Nashville, taking the celebration to Newgarden’s hometown.
Designed in house by Senior Art Director Mandy Walsh, the ticket celebrates the back-to-back wins with full-color images, including Newgarden’s Victory Podium celebrations and his almost identical liveries. Vibrant images from 2024 are shadowed by similar images from 2023.
“It’s very cool to be here in the Indianapolis International Airport,” Newgarden said. “Indiana and Tennessee are my two homes, so the fact we have the Indianapolis 500 in Indiana and the (NTT INDYCAR SERIES) championship finale in Tennessee is a great parallel. To top it all off is seeing this beautiful ticket from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500. It’s an incredible-looking ticket.
“To see my likeness on there, to see our team represented, it’s a very special feeling. You don’t know if that day will ever come when you drive into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The fact we’ve been able to pull it off twice, back to back, and that it’s been celebrated on this ticket, I’m super, super thankful.”
Once arriving in Nashville, Newgarden and Boles will visit Indianapolis 500 ticketholders and media in Nashville and conclude the day with a Fan Event at Big Machine Distillery and Tavern, where the 2025 Indianapolis 500 ticket and the Borg-Warner Trophy will be on display. Newgarden and Boles will be on hand to meet with fans and conduct a brief question-and-answer session.
Newgarden will attempt to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s on Sunday, May 25 in the 109th Indianapolis presented by Gainbridge at IMS, with live coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET on FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Tickets for the Indy 500 and all Month of May activities are on sale at IMS.com, by calling the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700 or by visiting the ticket office. 
 
 

A Busy Week for IndyCar

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IndyCar started the year with a very busy week. Content Days were followed by A.J. Foyt’s 90th birthday (I’m not that old- how can he be that old?), and a presence at the Detroit Auto Show, which has moved back to its traditional January date.

The main highlight from Content Days was the universal praise for FOX and the preseason prep they have been doing. The drivers involved in shooting the promos were impressed by the level of professionalism and attention. Other drivers also feel very good about the switch to the new network.

A. J. at 90

Considering the era in which Foyt raced, it is remarkable that he survived it. The 50s and 60s were two of the deadliest decades in the sport.

His accomplishments have been well documented, and I won’t rehash them here. Ibn y humble opinion, there has never been a better all-around driver then A. J. Foyt.

I think Foyt’s competitiveness is keeping him going. Paul Goldsmith dies last year at age 98. I’m pretty sure Foyt wants to beat that.

Baby Borgs

Yesterday at the Detroit Auto Show Josef Newgarden and Roger Penske received their baby Borg trophies for winning the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

David Malukas also appeared at the show.

Notes

Single day tickets are now on sale for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The opening race of the season is the weekend of February 28-March 2.

Testing

Full field Indycar tests:

February 17-18 Sebring

April 23-24 IMS

Individual teams may also have private tests scheduled.

Next week is the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Several IndyCar drivers and teams will participate.

Back-to-Back Indy 500 Winner Newgarden Unveils Second Image on Borg-Warner Trophy

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From IMS. I will have more on this event tomorrow.

  INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024) – 2024 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Josef Newgarden unveiled his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy on Dec. 4 in Indianapolis, one of the most significant honors since he won his second Indy 500 on May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Newgarden, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, earned his second victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet.
This was the 20th Indy 500 victory for Team Penske, and Newgarden is the first back-to-back winner since Helio Castroneves won his second Indy 500 while driving for Team Penske in 2002.
The unveiling ceremony took place at COhatch Polk Stables, a coworking space for entrepreneurs and startups located in downtown Indianapolis.
The bas-relief, sterling silver image of Newgarden is the 111th face to be affixed to the iconic trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the Indianapolis 500 since 1936.
“Having my face added to the Borg-Warner Trophy is one of the coolest parts about winning the race,” Newgarden said. “Seeing the finished product, with two side-by-side images of my face, is an unbelievable honor, and I look forward to hopefully adding a third likeness to the row after this year’s Indy 500.”
Renowned sculptor Will Behrends created Newgarden’s image, as he has for every winner since 1990.Each face on the trophy is unique, even for a back-to-back winner like Newgarden. Behrends starts from scratch each year and begins his creative process by studying a series of 360-degree photos of the winner to get a baseline for sculpting before constructing a full-scale model of the driver’s face. Normally a driver would visit Behrends’ studio in Tryon, North Carolina, for an in-person session. This year’s visit was impacted by Hurricane Helene, so Newgarden and Behrends met virtually to make the final adjustments to the full-scale model.
This life-size clay version is used as reference for Behrends to construct the smaller model, a piece created out of a mixture of oil-based clay. The smaller clay model is turned into a mold and cast in wax before being sent to a jeweler to be transformed into sterling silver. Behrends completes his process by polishing and buffing the sculpture before attaching it to the trophy.
“Today is a special day for Josef and BorgWarner,” said Michelle Collins, global director marketing and public relations for BorgWarner.
“Josef is one of only six drivers to win back-to-back Indianapolis 500 victories in the race’s 113-year history, and unveiling his face on this spectacular trophy cements his mark not only in INDYCAR, but all of motorsports. BorgWarner is honored to uphold the tradition of the Borg-Warner Trophy and celebrate Josef’s historic 2024 Indianapolis 500 win.”
Originally designed in 1935, the sterling silver trophy measures over 5 feet, 4-3/4 inches tall and weighs more than 110 pounds as it carries the sculpted face of every victor since 1911.
Early next year, Newgarden will receive his BorgWarner Championships Driver’s Trophy, also known as a “Baby Borg,” a miniature replica of the large-scale Borg-Warner Trophy.
Tickets for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and all Month of May events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway are on sale at IMS.com.