History of Josef Newgarden in Timeline

Josef Newgarden is a highly accomplished American racing driver currently competing in the IndyCar Series for Team Penske. He is a two-time IndyCar Series champion (2017, 2019) and the 2011 Indy Lights champion. Newgarden has achieved significant success at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in both 2023 and 2024, becoming the first driver since Helio Castroneves to win it in consecutive years. He also won the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona, becoming the 16th driver to win both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 24 hour race.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

December 22, 1990: Josef Newgarden Born

On December 22, 1990, Josef Nicolai Newgarden was born. He would later become a successful American racing driver.

Others born on this day/year

2001: Competed in Events Across the Country

In 2001, Newgarden competed in racing events across the country, using a motorized scooter purchased at a skate shop.

2005: Karting Championships

In 2005, Josef Newgarden, at age 13, captured multiple karting championship titles, marking his early success in racing.

2005: First year of Karting success

In his first year of karting, 2005, Newgarden finished 2nd and 3rd in the KRA Junior Can Championship and secured the title in the TAG world championships junior division.

2006: Successful Year in Karting

2006 was Josef Newgarden's most successful year in karting, securing two championships in the KRA Junior Can division and repeating as the TAG World Champion in the junior division.

2006: Skip Barber Racing School Series

In 2006, Josef Newgarden began his open-wheel car career in the Skip Barber Racing School series, finishing as runner-up in the Southern Regional Series.

2006: Open-Wheel Racing Debut

In 2006, Josef Newgarden switched to open-wheel racing, competing in the Skip Barber Racing School Series and finishing second in the regional championship.

2007: BFGoodrich / Skip Barber National Championship

In 2007, Josef Newgarden competed in the BFGoodrich / Skip Barber National Championship, finishing sixth overall.

2007: Skip Barber National Series

In 2007, Josef Newgarden competed in the Skip Barber National Series, finishing sixth overall.

2007: Junior Car Racing Debut

In 2007, Josef Newgarden transitioned to junior car racing, while still participating in karting events.

2008: Formula Ford Festival Title

After the 2008 season, Josef Newgarden was selected for the Team USA scholarship and secured the Formula Ford Festival title, becoming the only American to achieve this.

2008: Skip Barber Series Runner-Up

In 2008, Josef Newgarden improved to second place in the Skip Barber series, showcasing his progression in open-wheel racing.

2009: Move to England and British Formula Ford Championship

In 2009, Josef Newgarden moved to England to begin his European career, where he competed in the British Formula Ford Championship, finishing as runner-up with nine race wins. He also secured two wins in the Formula Palmer Audi Series.

2009: British Formula Ford Championship

In 2009, Josef Newgarden moved to England to compete in the British Formula Ford Championship, finishing as runner-up.

2009: Formula Palmer Audi Season

In 2009, Newgarden competed in the opening round of the Formula Palmer Audi season at Brands Hatch, taking two wins.

2010: GP3 Series with Carlin Motorsport

In 2010, Josef Newgarden competed in the GP3 Series with Carlin Motorsport, finishing 18th overall and achieving a pole position at Hockenheimring.

2010: GP3 Series

In 2010, Josef Newgarden competed in the GP3 Series, capturing one pole position, marking a step in his European racing career.

December 7, 2011: Joins Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing

On December 7, 2011, Josef Newgarden was announced as the driver for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in the IndyCar Series.

2011: Indy Lights Series Champion

In 2011, Josef Newgarden returned to the United States and competed in the Indy Lights Series, winning the championship with five wins and ten podiums.

2011: Indy Lights Championship Win

In 2011, Josef Newgarden returned to the United States and won the Indy Lights Series championship with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, securing multiple wins and podium finishes.

2011: Robo-Pong 200 Win

In 2011, Newgarden won the Robo-Pong 200 endurance karting race with Mark Dismore Sr. as his teammate.

2012: IndyCar Series Debut

In 2012, Josef Newgarden joined the IndyCar Series, marking his entry into the premier open-wheel racing series in North America.

2012: First American Born Driver to Win the Astor Cup

Newgarden became the first American born driver to win the Astor Cup since Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2012.

2013: Second Robo-Pong 200 Win

In 2013, Josef Newgarden won the Robo-Pong 200 endurance karting race again, this time with Mark Dismore Jr. as his teammate.

2015: Sarah Fisher Ends IndyCar Participation

After the 2015 season, Sarah Fisher ended her participation in IndyCar, with Newgarden continuing with Ed Carpenter Racing.

2015: First IndyCar Series Victory

During the fourth race weekend of the 2015 season at Barber Motorsports Park, Josef Newgarden earned his first IndyCar Series victory at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

2015: First IndyCar Win

In 2015, Josef Newgarden earned his first career IndyCar win at Barber Motorsports Park and followed it with a win in Toronto.

2015: 2015 Season

In 2015, Josef Newgarden won again at the Honda Indy Toronto and finished the season 7th in the standings with 431 points.

2015: Start with merged team

In 2015, during his fourth full season in IndyCar, Newgarden raced under the merged team of Sarah Fisher and Ed Carpenter, starting the season finishing in 12th position at St. Petersburg.

September 29, 2016: Departure from ECR Confirmed

On September 29, 2016, ECR owner Ed Carpenter confirmed that Newgarden would not return to the team in 2017.

2016: Iowa Corn 300 Victory

28 days after his crash at Texas, Newgarden won the 2016 Iowa Corn 300 in dominating fashion, leading 282 of 300 laps.

2016: Injury at Texas Motor Speedway

At the 2016 Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, Josef Newgarden was injured in a crash, breaking his hand and clavicle.

2016: Iowa Win and Laps Led Record

In 2016, Josef Newgarden captured his third IndyCar win at Iowa, leading 282 of 300 laps and setting a series record for most laps led in a race.

2016: Podium and Season Finish

In 2016, Newgarden claimed another podium at Watkins Glen, finishing 2nd, and ended the season in fourth place overall.

2016: American Ninja Warrior participation

In 2016, Newgarden competed in the Indianapolis round of season 8 of American Ninja Warrior alongside Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves.

2016: 2016 Season

In 2016, Newgarden started with a podium at Barber Motorsports Park, missed pole at Indy 500 and finished the 100th running of the Indy 500 in 3rd.

2016: Comparison to Simon Pagenaud's season

In 2016, Simon Pagenaud also won five races in IndyCar, equalling Newgarden's achievement in 2022. This was the last time an IndyCar driver won 5 races in a single season, before Newgarden equaled the feat.

2017: Joins Team Penske and Wins IndyCar Championship

In 2017, Josef Newgarden joined Team Penske, winning his first race with the team in his third start. He also captured his first IndyCar Series Championship with four wins and nine podiums.

2017: Move to Team Penske

In 2017, Josef Newgarden moved to Team Penske, with the official announcement made on October 5.

2017: IndyCar Series Champion

In 2017, Josef Newgarden won the IndyCar Series Championship, solidifying his status as a top-tier driver.

October 7, 2018: Engagement to Ashley Welch

On October 7, 2018, Newgarden announced his engagement to his longtime girlfriend, Ashley Welch, while in Japan.

2018: Fifth Place Finish

In 2018, Josef Newgarden finished fifth in the IndyCar Series, securing three wins throughout the season.

2018: Race of Champions participation in Riyadh

In 2018, Newgarden participated in the Race of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, representing Team USA.

2019: Second IndyCar Championship

In 2019, Josef Newgarden earned his second IndyCar Championship, achieving four wins and seven podium finishes.

2019: Marriage to Ashley Welch

In 2019, Newgarden married Ashley Welch in Nashville.

2019: Race of Champions participation in Mexico City

In 2019, Newgarden participated in the Race of Champions at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, representing Team USA.

2019: Ping-pong tournament raised over $100,000

In 2019, Newgarden's annual celebrity ping-pong tournament raised over $100,000 for the SeriousFun Children's Network.

2019: Featured on CMT's Nashville Squares

In the fall of 2019, Newgarden was featured on several episodes of CMT's Nashville Squares.

2019: Dominance on ovals, earning the nickname "The Oval King"

Since 2019, Newgarden's dominance on ovals has become apparent. He has won almost half of the IndyCar oval races during that period, earning him the nickname "The Oval King".

2020: Four Wins and Championship Runner-Up

In 2020, Josef Newgarden produced four wins during the season, ultimately finishing second in the championship standings.

2020: 2020 Season

In 2020, Newgarden finished third at the opener in Texas and despite an early slump, produced a series of wins and podium finishes, ultimately finishing third to rival Scott Dixon.

2021: 2021 Season

2021 was an up-and-down year for Newgarden, he picked up a win at Mid Ohio, his nineteenth in IndyCar. Newgarden picked up a second win at Gateway and finished second place in the championship for the second consecutive year.

2021: Two Wins and Championship Runner-Up

In 2021, Josef Newgarden achieved two wins and finished second in the championship for the second consecutive year.

February 23, 2022: Guest driver in Superstar Racing Experience

On February 23, 2022, it was announced that Newgarden would participate as a guest driver in Tony Stewart's Superstar Racing Experience at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville.

December 5, 2022: Teaming up for the 24 Hours of Daytona

On December 5, 2022, Newgarden announced that he would be partnering with Scott McLaughlin and Kyffin Simpson to enter the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona with an LMP2 entry.

2022: Five Wins and Championship Runner-Up

In 2022, Josef Newgarden secured five wins and finished second in the championship standings. He also won the inaugural PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge.

2022: Birth of first child

In 2022, Newgarden and his wife, Ashley Welch, welcomed their first child.

2022: Dominant and inconsistent season, career high in wins

In 2022, Newgarden had a season of highs and lows, setting a career-high with five wins at Texas, Long Beach, Road America, Iowa, and Gateway. Despite these wins, a crash at Iowa and other inconsistent finishes put him behind in the championship race, ultimately finishing second to Will Power. The 5 wins were the most by an IndyCar driver since 2016.

2023: Difficult season with Indy 500 win

2023 proved to be a challenging season for Newgarden, despite securing his first Indianapolis 500 win with a last-lap pass. He swept the double header at Iowa. However, struggles on road and street circuits led to an early exit at Laguna Seca, resulting in a fifth-place finish in the IndyCar Series.

2023: Iowa Sweep and Indianapolis 500 Win

In 2023, Josef Newgarden swept the Iowa Speedway weekend and won the Indianapolis 500 in a thrilling last-lap pass. He finished fifth in the championship standings.

2023: Indianapolis 500 Win

In 2023, Josef Newgarden won the Indianapolis 500, marking a pinnacle achievement in his racing career.

2023: Participation in Petit Le Mans

In 2023, Newgarden returned to sports car racing at Petit Le Mans, driving for Porsche Penske Motorsport in the GTP Class and finishing 4th overall.

2023: Infamous finish in the Indianapolis 500

In 2023, Newgarden's aggressive racing style was highlighted at the Indianapolis 500, where he passed Marcus Ericsson on the final lap and briefly weaved into the pitlane. Although the move was legal at the time, the IndyCar series banned weaving into the pitlane at the Indianapolis 500 for safety and sporting reasons.

2024: Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Daytona Wins

In 2024, Josef Newgarden won both the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Daytona, achieving a rare feat in motorsports. He became the 16th driver to win both events, and the first since Helio Castroneves to win the Indianapolis 500 in consecutive years.

2024: Back-to-Back Indianapolis 500 Win

In 2024, Josef Newgarden won the Indianapolis 500 for the second consecutive year, becoming the first driver in over twenty years to achieve this feat.

2024: Victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona

In 2024, Newgarden returned to Porsche Penske Motorsport and won the 24 Hours of Daytona alongside Matt Campbell, Felipe Nasr, and Dane Cameron.

2024: Pole position and back to back Indy 500 victory

In 2024, Newgarden started with a pole at St. Petersburg, which was later revoked due to push-to-pass violations. He then rebounded by winning the 108th Indy 500, marking consecutive Indy 500 victories, a feat not achieved since Helio Castroneves 22 years prior.