Josef Newgarden
Updated: Wikipedia source
Josef Nicolai Newgarden (born December 22, 1990) is an American racing driver who races the No. 2 Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet in the IndyCar Series. He was the 2011 Indy Lights champion, and 2017 and 2019 IndyCar Series Champion. He won the 2023 and 2024 Indianapolis 500, and the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona, becoming the 16th driver to win both an Indy 500 and a 24 Hours of Daytona, as well as the first driver since Helio Castroneves to win the Indianapolis 500 two-years in a row. Newgarden began racing at the age of thirteen in karts, capturing four championship titles in 2005–2006. He switched to open-wheel racing in 2006, competing in the Skip Barber Racing School Series, finishing second in the regional championship in 2006, followed by sixth and second in the national series, in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, he became the first U . driver to capture a Formula Ford Festival title, driving for Team USA in England. In 2009, Newgarden moved to England to begin his European career. He competed in the British Formula Ford Championship, finishing runner-up and leading the ultra-competitive series with nine race wins. He competed in the opening round of the 2009 Formula Palmer Audi Season, taking two wins. In 2010, he competed in the GP3 Series, capturing one pole position. Newgarden returned to the States in 2011 and competed in the Indy Lights Series, capturing five wins and ten podiums out of fourteen races. He clinched the points championship with one race remaining. In 2012, Newgarden joined the IndyCar Series, earning his first career win in 2015 at Barber Motorsports Park followed by a win at Toronto. In 2016, Newgarden captured his third win at Iowa, where he led 282 of 300 laps and set a series record for most laps led in a race. Newgarden joined Team Penske in 2017, scoring his first win with the team in his third start. He earned four wins and nine podiums in 2017, capturing his first IndyCar Series Championship. 2018 saw a fifth-place finish with three wins. Newgarden earned his second Championship in 2019 with four wins and seven podium finishes. During the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons, he produced four, two, and five wins respectively, finishing second each year. Newgarden won the inaugural PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge in 2022 by winning on an oval, road, and street course. In 2023, Newgarden swept the Iowa Speedway weekend and nearly became the first driver to win every oval race on the schedule with wins at Texas and Indianapolis. After a thrilling last-lap pass, Newgarden won the 2023 Indianapolis 500 in his twelfth attempt at the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing". He finished fifth in the standings in 2023, his eighth consecutive season finishing in the top-five in the championship standings. Newgarden won the 2024 Indianapolis 500 becoming the first driver in over twenty years to win the Indianapolis 500 back-to-back.