More than a decade after his first time out, Josef Newgarden finally became an Indianapolis 500 champion Sunday, winning the 107th running of the iconic race.
Following three red-flag pauses in the final 15 laps of the 500-mile race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 champ, battled it out off a one-lap restart shootout. Newgarden surged past Ericsson on the backstretch for the lead and ultimately the victory in a thrilling final lap. Winning a record 19th Indy 500 for Team Penske, the No. 2 Chevrolet driver edged Ericsson by 0.0974 seconds for the fourth-closest finish in the race’s history.
For The Win spoke with Newgarden on Tuesday after his Indy 500 victory about his late-race strategy, adding to the Team Penske legacy and his “Top Gun-style” celebration.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Congratulations! First off, how good did that bottle of whole milk taste?
It was amazing to be able to finally win the 500. To be handed the milk in Victory Lane is such an iconic thing in our sport. You certainly can dream of it. People ask that all the time: Have you ever envisioned or dreamed about it? And how could you not, but to really, actually realize it is beyond what you could ever imagine. So I was just so elated for everybody.
This was my 12th attempt at the 500, so it’s taken a very long time. And I think it means a lot more after going through all the heartbreak for many years there. But basically, if you don’t win the race, you’re leaving with a broken heart. And so to do that 11 years in a row and to finally win just made it even more special.
There was a moment when you had the milk bottle and you closed your eyes and seemed to very peacefully pour it over your head. What was going through your mind in that moment?
A moment Josef Newgarden will never forget. #Indy500 🥛 pic.twitter.com/0b85q5X2Nj
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 28, 2023
For me, it was genuinely just trying to savor that particular moment. I couldn’t really realize fully what was happening; it’s just surreal to be in that moment with everybody.
And what was cool was that was a local dairy farmer. They bring the milk from Indiana dairy farm every year, and they choose different farms and their their whole family essentially goes to the event. And the dairy farmer that handed me the milk, I had been to his farm. I went to his farm to learn about their process, and I met his whole family. … And so just see him there and how excited he was, it was just crazy. It’s hard to win this race and to be able to cherish that victory celebration, it’s unlike anywhere else.
You said if you won the Indy 500, you always planned to run into the grandstands to celebrate with the fans. Did that moment live up to expectations, and what was it like being totally encompassed by fans?
It was wild! It was different than maybe I envisioned in my mind. I’ve always wanted to do that. Ever since I was a rookie at Indy, I thought it would be so special to be able to celebrate in the crowd with everybody else. The energy at the Indy 500 is second to none. You cannot find this level of energy at any other sporting event. And so when I was thinking about it, I knew exactly where I wanted to park the car, where I wanted to get through the fence.
And I envisioned going up even higher into the stands. I wanted to go to the very top, but I couldn’t move much more. As soon as I got to the first part of the steps and the first area where people were sitting, it got swarmed really quickly, and there was a lot of energy right there. And so I thought, “Man, I should probably turn around. I don’t know that this is this is a good idea to keep trying to push forward.” And so I just took the moment and right there and then then went back to the track.
WOW!
This fan was right by the fence as @josefnewgarden came over to celebrate his #INDY500 victory!
(via IG/luke_boren15) pic.twitter.com/71yd0iLMTR
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 30, 2023
Obviously you delivered a big win for Team Penske, but Monday night, Penske NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney also won the Coca-Cola 600 and ran into the stands just like you did. And he said it was only because you did it first, and he thought that was so cool. What does it mean for you across motorsports, across series, all under one organization to have someone like that mimic you?
I thought it was so cool. I’m a big Ryan Blaney fan. He’s a great friend. I actually have been texting with Ryan constantly the last couple months. I’ve been watching him be so close to winning over the last couple years. He’s won many races, but he’s had a little bit of a dry spell here in NASCAR. And people have been giving him a hard time … and I think the pressure was building for him. And to be able to witness him win on the same weekend as us was so gratifying.
And the fact that he wanted to go into crowd too was so cool. That’s something we can share forever. And really, that’s winning the “[Memorial Day] Double.” If you look at Indianapolis 500 at the Coca-Cola 600, those are the big races on the weekend, and they call it the Double. And for our team, they’ve never done that before. So Ryan and I get to share that honor uniquely together, and the crowd deal along with it. I’m super pleased.
What a weekend for @Team_Penske!
Ryan @Blaney and @JosefNewgarden both celebrated their wins by going to join the fans!
(🎥: @NASCAR) pic.twitter.com/b06eIzOgHj
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) May 30, 2023
What's the wildest thing you did to celebrate over the last 36-ish hours?
Nothing crazy yet. We did have a long night on Sunday with the whole team, which was amazing. There wasn’t anything super unique or story-worthy. But we had the F-16 pilots with us. It was very Top Gun-style at a bar at the end with the whole crew, singing, enjoying and just being a part of this. A lot of us were first-time winners on that car. And so to join this kind of club together, it’s one of those things that you just bond over differently.
FTW: The F-16 Viper pilots that did the flyover before the race?
Newgarden: Yeah, yeah.
FTW: Partying with the pilots, that’s pretty cool.
Newgarden: Yeah, it was cool. It was very Top Gun. They were in there overalls. Still, I’m like, “What? This is very much just like that movie,” like as exactly as you think it would be. They did a good job making it then because that’s how those guys are.
Volume UP for the ceremonial flyover featuring F-16 Vipers from New Mexico's Holloman @USAirForce Base. ✈️
📺: @NBC and @Peacock // #INDY500 pic.twitter.com/mGNGhkkqtI
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 28, 2023
Were you still in your fire suit?
I wasn’t. my teammate, Scott [McLaughlin] said, “You should just wear the fire suit all night.” And then I decided not to do that. I didn’t think that was the right thing, but it probably would have been hilarious and maybe I should have. I mean, they were in their suits still.
FTW: To be fair, their suits probably weren’t covered in dry, crusted milk and other things.
Newgarden: That was really our point. [McLaughlin] was like, “Oh, wear it all night.” I’m like, “I don’t think people are gonna want me to be in this. It’s already starting to kind of curdle a bit.” Like, we probably should take care of this before too long.
Three red flags in the final 15 laps, you had a bit of time to think about how you wanted to approach the end of the race. Did you have a plan for how you were going to try and take the lead or was that more of an improv move on the backstretch?
All plans went out the window for the last 15 laps. I didn’t predict three red flags. They were all different. They all required a different strategy. And at the end, it was really reactionary. You had to be flexible and ready to capitalize on any little mistake or moment, and certainly, the last red flag — it was all about the one-lap shootout. It’s just trying to get around Marcus for me, and I think we got the run exactly when we needed to off of Turn 2. So that was really perfect positioning. And I couldn’t have scripted it better for us to be able to have a green-flag finish.
After you passed Marcus Ericsson with half a lap left, were you driving in your rearview mirror the whole time or looking at the finish line?
Really [through Turns] 3 and 4, I was watching Marcus and exactly where he was and where I can position myself to keep the advantage. And then as soon as I got halfway down the front straightaway, I could tell there was enough of a gap to win the race, and that’s when it really sunk in that, “This is possible. We’re going to realize the victory today.” And as you can imagine, it just was a flood of emotions.
"Joseph Newgarden finally wins the Indianapolis 500" was the call on the race broadcast. Does it feel like "finally!" moment for you, or is everyone else projecting that?
THE FINAL LAP OF THE 107TH #INDY500.
JOSEF NEWGARDEN WINS! pic.twitter.com/jgsyatqtFS
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 28, 2023
From my side, it does. It’s really heartwarming that people have said that. I feel like people have given me the great respect that I could have won this race, and I don’t want to harp on it too much from my side because it takes so much more than just me driving the car well. This was a huge team victory, and it always is.
You cannot win the Indianapolis 500 without everything going flawlessly. If it’s not a perfect day, you’ll never win the race, and the team has to execute at the highest level. You have to have the best car, the fastest car, a car that doesn’t break. You have to have the right strategy. Every pitstop has to be perfect. So from a team standpoint, it’s a huge victory for everybody. … And I always believed it was possible, but you just never know if it’s actually going to fully come to fruition.
How does it feel to be the 19th Team Penske winner of the Indy 500 and adding to that legacy?
It’s pretty amazing what that man has accomplished in his life. I think the Indy 500, as most people know, with Roger Penske, is what built the Penske brand. Roger attended the Indianapolis 500 with his father when he was young, and it’s really what brought him into the racing world. That’s what inspired him to build the Penske Corporation and the powerhouse company that it is today. And it is the heart and soul of what what our team is about.
So knowing that history and that story for Roger, to be able to drive for him and to add to his list, I think is pretty special. I’m gonna always cherish being a part of that, you know, outside of just personally being able to win it for him, for the whole team.
