Josef Newgarden enjoyed a dream first season with Team Penske in 2017 as he captured the Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) championship and established himself as a true star of the sport. Newgarden will look to raise the bar even higher in 2018 as he’ll carry the champion’s No. 1 on the Verizon/Hitachi Dallara/Chevrolet this season for Team Penske.
After joining Team Penske in October 2016, it didn’t take long for Newgarden to make his mark in the record books of the winningest team in INDYCAR history. He closed the 2017 season – Newgarden’s seventh year competing in the Verizon IndyCar Series – with the team’s 15th series title and its 30th championship overall. The Henderson, Tennessee native got off to a quick start with a victory at Barber Motorsports Park in just his third start for Team Penske. He drove the No. 2 Chevrolet to Victory Lane three more times – at Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Gateway – over the course of the season to lead all series drivers in wins with four. Newgarden also captured his lone Verizon P1 Pole Award at the right time in the season finale at Sonoma that proved instrumental in securing his first series title. For the season, Newgarden posted 10 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes while leading at least one lap in a series-best 12 races.
By claiming the INDYCAR championship in his first season with Team Penske, Newgarden joined some pretty elite company. Rick Mears, Al Unser Sr., Al Unser Jr., and Gil de Ferran are the only other drivers to accomplish that feat in the team’s storied history. At 26 years of age, Newgarden also became the youngest series champion since Scott Dixon won it all in 2003 at 23 and he was the first American-born driver to claim the crown since Ryan Hunter Reay in 2012.
Biography
Josef Newgarden enjoyed a dream first season with Team Penske in 2017 as he captured the Verizon IndyCar Series (VICS) championship and established himself as a true star of the sport. Newgarden will look to raise the bar even higher in 2018 as he’ll carry the champion’s No. 1 on the Verizon/Hitachi Dallara/Chevrolet this season for Team Penske.
After joining Team Penske in October 2016, it didn’t take long for Newgarden to make his mark in the record books of the winningest team in INDYCAR history. He closed the 2017 season – Newgarden’s seventh year competing in the Verizon IndyCar Series – with the team’s 15th series title and its 30th championship overall. The Henderson, Tennessee native got off to a quick start with a victory at Barber Motorsports Park in just his third start for Team Penske. He drove the No. 2 Chevrolet to Victory Lane three more times – at Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Gateway – over the course of the season to lead all series drivers in wins with four. Newgarden also captured his lone Verizon P1 Pole Award at the right time in the season finale at Sonoma that proved instrumental in securing his first series title. For the season, Newgarden posted 10 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes while leading at least one lap in a series-best 12 races.
By claiming the INDYCAR championship in his first season with Team Penske, Newgarden joined some pretty elite company. Rick Mears, Al Unser Sr., Al Unser Jr., and Gil de Ferran are the only other drivers to accomplish that feat in the team’s storied history. At 26 years of age, Newgarden also became the youngest series champion since Scott Dixon won it all in 2003 at 23 and he was the first American-born driver to claim the crown since Ryan Hunter Reay in 2012.
Newgarden began his motorsports career at 13 years of age at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana where he won numerous karting titles between 2006-2008. After racing in Europe for a few years, he returned to the United States in 2011 and captured the Indy Lights championship for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, recording five wins and 10 podium finishes in 14 starts. The performance earned Newgarden an opportunity at Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing for the 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series season.
After scoring his first two career VICS wins in 2015, Newgarden produced one of the most dominating victories in series history while driving for Ed Carpenter Racing during the 2016 season. He led a series-record 282 of 300 laps after starting second on his way to victory at Iowa Speedway. Adding to the impressive performance was the fact that the race came just four weeks after Newgarden suffered a fractured clavicle and right hand in a dramatic July 12 accident at Texas Motor Speedway. Overall in 2016, Newgarden recorded six top-five and 11 top-10 results as he finished fourth in the championship standings, just behind the three Team Penske drivers that would become his teammates later that year – Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and Helio Castroneves.
As he works to become a back-to-back Verizon IndyCar Series champion in 2018, Newgarden will also look to add to his rapidly-growing list of achievements by trying to earn his first Indianapolis 500-mile victory.
Newgarden resides in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
Newgarden Key Accomplishments
- Crowned 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion
- Earned seven Verizon IndyCar Series wins entering 2018
- Produced Team Penske’s 15th Verizon IndyCar Series championship in 2017
- Won two career Verizon IndyCar Series pole positions
- Established a new series record for laps led in a single race by leading 282 laps en route to victory at Iowa in 2016
- Recipient of the 2012 Rising Star Award
2017 - Completes dream first season with Team Penske, winning the 16th IndyCar championship in team history. Starts season strong, finishing third at Long Beach for his first podium with Team Penske and followed it up with his first Team Penske win in the next race at Barber. His other wins on the season were at Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Gateway. He battled all season with teammate, and defending champion, Simon Pagenaud before being able to take control of the championship with three wins and a runner up in four consecutive races. Won his first Verizon P1 Award of the season in the finale at Sonoma Raceway, coming in second in the race to clinch the championship. For the season, he had four wins, nine podium finishes and one pole victory in 2017.
2016 - His most constant season to date led to a career best finish of fourth in the championship for Newgarden. Driving for Ed Carpenter Racing, Newgarden tied a career high with four podium finishes, including a gutsy win at Iowa after breaking his hand in a scary crash at Texas. Was the highest finishing driver outside of Team Penske. After the season, Newgarden announced he was signing with the legendary Team Penske to race in the #2 Chevrolet.
2015 - A breakthrough season for Josef Newgarden as he drove for the combined Carpenter Fisher Hartman (CFH) Racing team, winning his first career Verizon IndyCar Series races, at Barber and Toronto, and getting his first career Verizon P1 Award at Milwaukee. Newgarden ended the season in the top-ten in the championship for the first time in his career, finishing seventh. New career high with 345 laps led and with four podium finishes on the season, his wins at Barber and Toronto along with runner up at Iowa and Pocono.
2014 - Entering his third Verizon IndyCar Series season Newgarden had his best season finishing a career high 13th in the championship. He had the most led laps of his career with 20 and tied his career best finish of second at Iowa. Newgarden tied his career best starting position of second at Texas, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma.
Career Highlights
2017 - Completes dream first season with Team Penske, winning the 16th IndyCar championship in team history. Starts season strong, finishing third at Long Beach for his first podium with Team Penske and followed it up with his first Team Penske win in the next race at Barber. His other wins on the season were at Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Gateway. He battled all season with teammate, and defending champion, Simon Pagenaud before being able to take control of the championship with three wins and a runner up in four consecutive races. Won his first Verizon P1 Award of the season in the finale at Sonoma Raceway, coming in second in the race to clinch the championship. For the season, he had four wins, nine podium finishes and one pole victory in 2017.
2016 - His most constant season to date led to a career best finish of fourth in the championship for Newgarden. Driving for Ed Carpenter Racing, Newgarden tied a career high with four podium finishes, including a gutsy win at Iowa after breaking his hand in a scary crash at Texas. Was the highest finishing driver outside of Team Penske. After the season, Newgarden announced he was signing with the legendary Team Penske to race in the #2 Chevrolet.
2015 - A breakthrough season for Josef Newgarden as he drove for the combined Carpenter Fisher Hartman (CFH) Racing team, winning his first career Verizon IndyCar Series races, at Barber and Toronto, and getting his first career Verizon P1 Award at Milwaukee. Newgarden ended the season in the top-ten in the championship for the first time in his career, finishing seventh. New career high with 345 laps led and with four podium finishes on the season, his wins at Barber and Toronto along with runner up at Iowa and Pocono.
2014 - Entering his third Verizon IndyCar Series season Newgarden had his best season finishing a career high 13th in the championship. He had the most led laps of his career with 20 and tied his career best finish of second at Iowa. Newgarden tied his career best starting position of second at Texas, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma.
2013 - Newgarden picked up his first career Verizon IndyCar Series podium in 2013, finishing second in Baltimore driving for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. He had four top-five finishes on the season at Sao Paulo, Pocono, Baltimore and Houston Race I. 2013 was the best finish in the championship standings of his young career, finishing in 14th.
2012 - Newgarden joined the Verizon IndyCar Series and joined Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing after winning the 2011 Indy Lights championship. Had a season best finish at his first career INDYCAR race of 11th at St. Petersburg. Led his first career lap and the season ending race in Fontana. Suffered a big crash at Sonoma with Sebastian Bourdais, causing him to miss the race in Baltimore. Finished 23rd overall in the championship.
2011 - Rookie season for Josef Newgarden in the Indy Lights series driving for Sam Schmidt. Won his first race in the season opener at St. Petersburg. Newgarden took over the points lead after his win at Indianapolis and never looked back. His five wins, ten podiums and 395 laps led were top in the series. With his Indy Lights championship, Newgarden earned a ride in the Verizon IndyCar Series for 2012.
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