'Nothing to lose' in Indy 500 for Josef Newgarden's championship pit crew, pushed by Chick-Fil-A

Indianapolis Star

23-05-2025

INDIANAPOLIS — Chick-fil-A is the reason Josef Newgarden's No. 2 Penske pit crew team won the Oscar Mayer $150,000 Pit Stop Challenge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday.
'This year, we've started to get a little bit more competitive at the shop and Chick-fil-A seems to be the winning ticket to get the best out of these guys,' said Sean O'Hara, who manages the stop board for the No. 2 Penske car. 'Our first week, we did Chick-fil-A; out of the 30 stops, there might've been two or three red stops the whole day. I went back to management and said, 'I'm doing Chick-fil-A as much as possible.''
A Chick-fil-A reference and the first Oscar Mayer Wienie 500 race made Carb Day live up to its name. Newgarden's team left Friday the most filled.
'Going into Sunday, (the victory) just fills you with so much confidence that we might be starting in the back, but we're going to creep our way forward,' team engineer Luke Mason said.
Newgarden will start in the final row Sunday alongside teammate Will Power after IndyCar penalized Penske for an illegal body fit on both driver's cars. Team owner Roger Penske also fired three executives who were his team strategists.
'I believe in our ability regardless of circumstance,' Newgarden said. 'Starting at the back, I know we can make a lot happen and I know I have the team behind me to make it happen, so I feel confident in that respect. The pit stop competition is just an example of how you can't replace excellent people. We got so much depth on our team and that's what makes the difference.'
Newgarden faced Power in the finale of the 14-team competition. Newgarden and his pit crew defeated Power in the first matchup in the best of three final. Power responded before losing the final round after Newgarden's team posted a 10.263-second run.
Newgarden's car chief Chad Gordon said facing Power 'took the pressure off' in the finale and 'made it fun.' Gordon said there's been a 'dramatic rise' in team camaraderie because of the Penske scandal. Gordon noted that having Power and Newgarden was a win for Team Penske.
'It was good to have both cars in the final and I think the boys needed that,' Power told IndyStar after the final.
'Experience you can't explain': How IndyCar pit crew managers, chiefs found their passion
Power will go for his second Indy 500 on Sunday while Newgarden attempts to place his name in an echelon of its own. Newgarden's pit crew remains calm with history on the horizon.
'No one has ever (won three straight), so there is no pressure,' Mason said. 'Look at this group. Look at our driver. We just proved we have the fastest crew on the pit lane, I have the best driver driving my race car, and we showed we have the fastest car this week. We have nothing to lose on Sunday.
'We are going for three (straight) and excited at the opportunity to create history. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't, but it's going to be a good show on Sunday with us coming through the field in the back; it's going to be awesome to watch.'
If Newgarden loses confidence at any point as he tries to race to the front, a glance over at his pit crew may provide the resolve to endure.