Biography

Josef Newgarden has won at least one NTT INDYCAR SERIES race each year he has been a member of Team Penske, a streak that was extended to nine seasons after his win at Nashville Superspeedway to close out the 2025 season. It was a much-needed victory to end a volatile year for Team Penske, one that provided the team with plenty of momentum as they look to hit the ground running in 2026 when the series reconvenes on the streets of St. Petersburg.

As one of the most accomplished and recognizable stars of American motorsports, the driver of the No. 2 Astemo/PPG/Shell Powering Progress/Snap-on/XPEL Chevrolet continues to produce both on and off the track in his 14 seasons competing in North America’s top open-wheel series. The crucial Nashville win capped off a season that can also be considered a commercial success for the American star as he was prominently featured in marketing campaigns by the series’ new broadcast partner, FOX, including an appearance in their Super Bowl coverage.

The 2025 season began with a strong, third-place finish at St. Petersburg set the team up on a solid start to the season, one they carried into the month of May as Newgarden looked to become the first driver in history to win three-consecutive Indianapolis 500 wins. However, following a penalty during qualifying, Newgarden lost his race strategist Tim Cindric (dismissed) and his engineer Luke Mason (suspended) making his quest for a three peat more difficult as Newgarden and teammate Will Power were also relegated to the last row to start the event. A determined Newgarden nearly pulled off the incredible feat as he drove up to the sixth position late in the 200-laps event before a fuel pressure issue forced him to retire early. Despite the turnover at the top of the leadership structure, the No. 2 Chevrolet team continued to display race-winning speed on numerous occasions before putting it all together at Newgarden’s home track of Nashville Superspeedway for the morale-boosting victory.  

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