Josef Newgarden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Josef Newgarden |
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Newgarden at the Iowa Speedway, 2022
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| Nationality |  American |
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| Born | December 22, 1990 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| IndyCar Series career | |||||||
| 215 races run over 13 years | |||||||
| Team(s) | No. 2 (Team Penske) | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st (2017, 2019) | ||||||
| First race | 2012 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg) |
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| Last race | 2021 Honda Indy 200 (Mid-Ohio) | ||||||
| First win | 2015 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (Barber) | ||||||
| Last win | 2024 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 (Gateway) | ||||||
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Josef Nicolai Newgarden (born December 22, 1990) is an American race car driver. He drives the No. 2 car for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series. Josef is a two-time IndyCar Series Champion, winning in 2017 and 2019. He also won the famous Indianapolis 500 race two years in a row, in 2023 and 2024. He is the first driver since Helio Castroneves to achieve this amazing feat.
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Josef Newgarden's Early Racing Days
Josef Newgarden started racing at age 13 in karts. He quickly showed his talent, winning four championship titles in 2005 and 2006. His very first race vehicle was a motorized scooter!
In 2006, he switched to open-wheel racing. This is a type of racing where the wheels are outside the car's main body. He competed in the Skip Barber Racing School Series. He finished second in the regional championship in 2006. Then, he placed sixth and second in the national series in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, Josef made history. He became the first American driver to win a Formula Ford Festival title in England.
Racing in Europe
In 2009, Josef moved to England to continue his racing career. He raced in the British Formula Ford Championship. He finished as the runner-up and won nine races, showing his skill. He also competed in the Formula Palmer Audi series, winning two races. In 2010, he joined the GP3 Series, where he earned one pole position. A pole position means he started the race from the very front.
Becoming an Indy Lights Champion
Josef returned to the United States in 2011. He joined the Indy Lights Series, which is a step before IndyCar. He had an amazing year, winning five races and finishing on the podium (top three) ten times out of 14 races. He won the championship with one race still to go! In one race in New Hampshire, he even lapped (passed) every other car on the track.
Josef Newgarden's IndyCar Series Career
In 2012, Josef Newgarden joined the top-level IndyCar Series. He first raced for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. He earned his first podium finish (top three) in 2013 in Baltimore. In 2014, he got another podium finish at Iowa Speedway.
First Wins and New Teams
In 2015, Josef raced for a new team called CFH Racing. He earned his first IndyCar Series victory at Barber Motorsports Park. He led most of the race and won by over two seconds. Later that year, he won again at Toronto. He finished the 2015 season in seventh place overall.
In 2016, Josef stayed with the team, which was now called Ed Carpenter Racing. He started the season with another podium finish at Barber Motorsports Park. He also finished third in the famous Indianapolis 500 race. Later that year, he was injured in a crash at Texas Motor Speedway, breaking his hand and collarbone. But he was incredibly tough and returned to race just two weeks later! Only 28 days after his crash, he won the race at Iowa. He led 282 out of 300 laps, setting a series record for most laps led in a race. He finished the 2016 season in fourth place.
Joining Team Penske and Winning Championships
On September 29, 2016, Josef Newgarden announced he would join Team Penske for the 2017 season. This was a big move to one of the best teams in racing.
In 2017, Josef won his first race with Team Penske in his third start. He went on to win four races and had nine podium finishes that year. He won his first IndyCar Series Championship! He became the first American driver to win the Astor Cup since 2012.
In 2018, he finished fifth overall with three wins. In 2019, Josef won his second IndyCar Championship. He had four wins and seven podium finishes that season. He led the points standings after almost every race.
The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Josef had a slow start but finished strong with four wins. He ended up second in the championship. In 2021, he earned four pole positions (starting first) but only two wins, finishing second overall again. In 2022, he had a career-high five wins. He won on different types of tracks: an oval, a road course, and a street course. This showed how versatile he is as a driver. He finished second in the championship for the third year in a row.
In 2023, Josef won both races at Iowa Speedway. He also won the 2023 Indianapolis 500 after a thrilling last-lap pass! This was his 12th try at the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." He finished fifth in the standings, making it his eighth year in a row finishing in the top five.
In 2024, Josef Newgarden made history again by winning the 2024 Indianapolis 500. This made him the first driver in over 20 years to win the Indy 500 two years in a row. During qualifying for the 2025 Indianapolis 500, Josef and his teammate had issues with their cars. They had to start at the back of the field for the race.
Josef Newgarden's Racing Style
Josef Newgarden is known as one of the most skilled drivers in the IndyCar Series. He is good at qualifying (getting a fast starting position) and great at racing. He can win on all four types of tracks: road courses, street courses, short ovals, and superspeedways.
Because he has won almost half of the oval races since 2019, he has earned the nickname The Oval King. On road and street courses, he is famous for making daring passes on the outside of other cars. This move is sometimes called the Josef Newgarden Move.
Josef is also known for racing his teammates very hard. In the 2023 Indianapolis 500, he passed another driver on the very last lap to win. He briefly moved into the pit lane area to block the other car, which was allowed at the time. However, IndyCar later banned this move for safety reasons.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Josef Newgarden was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His parents named him "Josef" to honor his mother’s Danish family. He is half Danish and even holds a Danish passport. He grew up watching racing with his father, who loved NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula 1.
Before racing, Josef played baseball, football, and basketball. He went to Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
In 2019, Josef married his longtime girlfriend, Ashley Welch, in Nashville. In 2022, they welcomed their first child.
Josef has a YouTube channel where he shares videos about his race weekends. He also had a video series with his teammate Scott McLaughlin called Bus Bros.
Helping Others and Media Appearances
Josef Newgarden is an ambassador for the SeriousFun Children's Network. This charity was started by actor and race team owner Paul Newman. Josef hosts a yearly celebrity ping-pong tournament to raise money for the charity. In 2019, the tournament raised over $100,000!
Josef is also a gamer. He was a brand ambassador for the video game Forza Motorsport 7. His voice is even featured in the game.
Images for kids
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Newgarden after winning the 2008 Formula Ford Festival
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Newgarden competing in the 2010 GP3 Series
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Newgarden clinching the Indy Lights Championship
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Newgarden at the 2018 ABC Supply 500
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See also
In Spanish: Josef Newgarden para niños
