Indy 500 Champion Won Race on 12th Try, Perseveres With Dad’s Advice: “Pursue It to the Very End”

Josef Newgarden shares the lessons he’s learned through trying for the Indy 500 race 11 times before finally winning this year.

Josef Newgarden said his team is comprised of 80 to 100 people working to optimize his race car. LAT

Being a professional adrenaline junkie requires a cool head, according to Josef Newgarden, the newest Indy 500 champion. The open-wheel car racer had run the race 11 times prior, and he said the only difference between the 11th and 12th times was the fact that, as this latest attempt drew to a close, he saw he had the opportunity to fight for the finish, and he did.

“I think you just have to be prepared for the opportunity to win the race,” said Mr. Newgarden, who has been racing the IndyCar Series for 12 years and joined Team Penske in 2017. There was a tremendous moment of recognition, he acknowledged, but the very next weekend, they had a race in Detroit—the Indy 500 is only the sixth race of the season, after all.