From Disaster to Execution – Josef Newgarden’s Puzzle Approach to Winning in INDYCAR
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden isn’t just chasing speed — he’s chasing understanding. As one of the most consistent and calculating drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Newgarden offered insight during the Long Beach media day into how the team approaches success: not by striving for perfection, but by executing the fundamentals better than anyone else.
“It’s the simple things,” Newgarden said. “Is the car fully fueled? Are we double-checking the strategy? Are we not making silly mistakes?”
For Newgarden and Penske, it’s less about reinventing the wheel and more about minimizing the margin for error. In a series as competitive and unpredictable as INDYCAR, those details can make or break a weekend — especially on tight street circuits like Long Beach.
Lessons from Thermal and Long Beach
Newgarden also didn’t shy away from discussing the team’s recent struggles — particularly at the Thermal Club exhibition, which saw Penske off the pace compared to its usual high standards.
“Thermal was a disaster,” he admitted. “But it was helpful in the sense that we found a direction. We understood where we missed the mark.”
That setback proved to be more than just a bad day — it became a valuable reference point. In typical Penske fashion, the team used it to recalibrate their baseline and double down on fundamentals, a theme Newgarden kept returning to in the conversation. Long Beach was a total desaster as well with his seatbelt issues forcing him to pit multiple times, leaving him in last place at the checker.
The goal for future races? Eliminate weaknesses before they become race-day liabilities.
IndyCar as a Moving Puzzle
When asked how he views competition in a series as nuanced as INDYCAR, Newgarden shared a revealing analogy:
“INDYCAR is like solving a puzzle,” he explained. “And the puzzle changes — year over year, even at the same track.”
That constant evolution is part of what makes the series so mentally demanding and strategically rich. Track conditions change. Tire behavior shifts. Weather, caution timing, engine mapping, hybrid integration — all variables in a constantly shifting equation.
Rather than chasing a single “perfect” setup, Newgarden emphasized the importance of adapting to each unique race weekend, of treating each challenge as its own problem to solve.
And with Penske’s track record, it’s a philosophy that continues to deliver.
Execution Over Flash
What truly sets Newgarden apart, and by extension Team Penske, is the unwavering commitment to executing clean, controlled race weekends — free of errors, full of intention.
While the field searches for raw pace and aggressive strategies, Penske’s edge often lies in its preparation and internal discipline. As Newgarden put it, “Just getting the basics right — that’s what wins races.”
In a season that’s already thrown curveballs, from hybrid adjustments to altered tire strategies and evolving race formats, that mindset might just be the most valuable asset of all.
Philipp Kraus / Media Credit – Penske Entertainment
