What drivers are saying about Josef Newgarden's quest for Indy 500 three-peat
INDIANAPOLIS — Josef Newgarden doesn't shy away from the question of winning an unprecedented third consecutive Indianapolis 500.
In the 108-race history of the event, no driver has gone back-to-back-to-back. Both of his wins have come in dramatic fashion, with last-lap passes on Marcus Ericsson in 2023 and Pato O'Ward in 2024.
"We have a great opportunity," Newgarden said. "To win three in a row. It would be historical, as everybody knows. I think the odds are astronomical.
"If you look at the statistics, it should be almost impossible for us to do this, which sort of takes out the pressure."
In speaking about it last week, Newgarden insisted he isn't feeling the pressure.
"I have the same intensity that I want to win the race," Newgarden said. "And if we win the race, circumstantially, it's going to mean three in a row. But I feel more relaxed being here. How could you not? I'm just thankful to be here at this point. It's all good."
Newgarden will start 32nd in the middle of Row 11 after the penalties issued to his team for illegally filling a seam in a piece at the rear of the car. On "FOX and Friends" on Wednesday, Newgarden exuded confidence.
"We can totally do it," he said. "We have the team, we have the people. ... I want to win it from the last row now. The mountain is only getting taller this week. And it's a big process. But I'm ready to go."
So that's what Newgarden said about the chance to three-peat. What about others who know him and compete against him? Here's a sampling of what's been said this week:
Team owner Roger Penske:
"He's a pro. He's been probably the best on ovals for the last two or three years, whether it's a short oval, medium or obviously at Indy. ... He's done it with courageous passes and execution in the pits."
Four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears:
"All I can [suggest to him] is kind of go off what I felt I should do. I can't really speak for Josef. This is Indianapolis, it's almost impossible to keep it as another race. But that's the frame of mind I tried to keep when we were running. That way I'm not pressured into doing something that I shouldn't do. I just think that's the best way. That'll be up to him how he wants to approach it."
NASCAR teammate Joey Logano:
"What I see in Josef is a very intense person who is very aware of everything that is going on around him. And he is ultra-competitive in anything he does. So when you put a big prize in front of him, he's going to be the person that levels up because he's going to want it really bad. And I think there's no better example of than the pass he made last year to win the Indy 500. The amount of [courage] it took … going for it on the outside in Turn 3 like that. I mean, he just said, 'If I wreck, I wreck, I'm going for the Indy 500 win.' It was an all-or-nothing move. That's why he wins. But I also think he's very calculated."
NASCAR teammate Ryan Blaney:
"Josef is an animal, man. ... He is one of the hardest-working guys out there. One of the nicest guys ever. He just kind of has that it factor. I don't know what it is, but it's just something about him. He is just a hard-core racer. I have no doubt in my mind he can go out there and win it. His pass last year around O'Ward around the top into [Turn] 3 takes some guts to do that. Does he do that move yet if he hasn't won one yet? I don't know."
2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon:
"It's the 500. He's definitely one of the favorites. Penske were definitely favorites last year. So I think this year is pretty similar. ... He's definitely one of the favorites for sure."
2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi:
"Josef is the most aggressive oval driver in the series. ... Talking about the specific pass for the win with Pato last year, Josef had the momentum and had the run on the outside. We certainly saw in the past [a different move] at Gateway, Josef kind of forced the issue and made the other driver make a decision. It's part of his DNA. It's part of why he's so successful on ovals, especially short ovals. And honestly, it was always a little bit of an outlier why those results that he had on ovals didn't translate to Indy [initially]. Like it was only a matter of time."
Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin:
"He's the same Josef we know. I'd be pretty relaxed. If I win one, I'm going to be very [expletive] relaxed. ... He's won 500s, and I'd take that over anything on this planet. It's a lot of hard work to get to that point. He put himself in positions last year and the year before that really allowed him to do that, and that's a credit to him."
Four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves:
"Penske has great potential, especially with Josef, the way he did the last two years. He's in the hunt for sure. He's another competitor that I know is going to be very, very, very tough to beat."
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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