Yahoo Autos Josef Newgarden Signs New Deal, Sets Sights on Lofty IndyCar Records
Josef Newgarden, who won the 108th Indianapolis 500, has extended his IndyCar racing contract with Team Penske.
Newgarden enters the next phase of his career 13th on the all-time wins list with 30.
A.J. Foyt is all-time open-wheel wins leader in an Indy car with 67.
Josef Newgarden and Team Penske announced a multi-year extension of their current eight-year racing marriage, and Chevrolet and primary sponsor Hitachi Astemo are coming along for the ride.
While details of the agreement announced on Saturday in Detroit were not disclosed, Newgarden did say that the extension should put him in a position to challenge the drivers atop the all-time IndyCar Series wins list.
Newgarden's win last week at the 108th Indianapolis 500 was his second in the world's biggest race. It was also the 30th of his IndyCar career, which ranks 30th all-time in series history. Next on the list are Paul Tracy, Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves—all three are tied with 31.
With 30 already in the bank, is it realistic to think the 34-year-old Newgarden could even make a run at a really big number? Say 60? Or maybe even the 67 wins mark of all-time leader A.J. Foyt?
"I don't see why not," said Newgarden, who has recorded 27 of his 30 years with Team Penske since joining the organization in 2017. "I'm not going to say that's going to happen. It's very difficult to know what's going to take place. I don't see why we can't keep adding to the list.
"That's why I show up every day, I work hard every year, why this team works hard. Always looking forward. Roger Penske talks about we have to look through the front windshield. He's right. We're always trying to figure out how we can all be better at what we do."
In addition the wins total, Newgarden has two championships with Penske (2017, 2019) and three other near misses—he finished runner-up in the championship in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
"Very much feels like home here to me," Newgarden said. "This is my eighth year with the team. They've provided me with every opportunity that I could have ever dreamed of. I've enjoyed my time here immensely, immensely. There's nothing that's ever been missing. Very thankful to our partnerships across the board.
"Chevrolet has powered every single one of my IndyCar victories that I've ever had, whether that was pre Penske or during the entire time. Not somewhere else I want to go. I have loved working with Chevrolet, having them support me my entire career.
"Certainly the Hitachi relationship was a very good one to receive when I got to Team Penske. I used to watch Helio Castroneves drive the Hitachi car. I thought if one day I had an opportunity to drive for this team, I would love to drive that car. Helio passed the torch in 2018. We were able to follow that up with a championship in 2019.
"I don't think it's farfetched to say we nearly could have had four championships together in that time span. We finished second, runner-up, three years in a row. A couple were very close.
"I think for me what I look at, which is most gratifying, is the potential still has not been reached. There's a higher ceiling here that we haven't maxed out yet. That makes me excited for the future."
Newgarden qualified third on Saturday for Sunday's Chevrolet Grand Prix presented by Lear. He'll line up on the inside of Row 2 alongside Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin behind the front row of pole sitter Colton Herta and defending series champion and 2023 Detroit race winner Alex Palou.
"I care about the numbers," Newgarden said. "I certainly care about it. I think Roger Penske cares about it tremendously. Whatever we're doing, we care about the numbers. We want to succeed and only get better every year we show up. I feel the same way.
"In an odd way, I think we have a long way to go. I don't say that arrogantly. I'm proud of what we've done, but I'm more excited about what we can do. I feel like our potential still has not been reached."
