With the Verizon IndyCar Series heading into its biggest month, Josef Newgarden told FanSided about tackling May with Team Penske, the 101st Indy 500, and that time he drove with a broken hand.
May is the biggest month for the Verizon IndyCar Series, with teams preparing for this weekend’s IndyCar Grand Prix and then setting their sights on the 101th running of the Indianapolis 500. So what does it mean to tackle the month of May?
FanSided spoke to Josef Newgarden about what it’s like for him to go into May as a member of Team Penske, what he’s expecting from this year’s Indy 500 and what it really takes to drive a race car with a broken hand.
Josef looks at the 2017 IndyCar campaign a little differently than he did when we spoke to him last month, now that he has a Long Beach podium and Barber victory under his belt.
“We’ve had a great year to start out. We were able to get a podium at Long Beach, the win at Barber afterwards,” he told us. “The landscaping is a little different to me, being with Team Penske and now going into May, it’s all a little bit different.
“A lot of it’s the same, in the way you approach it, [but] being with this team, they operate a little differently and the cars are a little different. So there’s things I’ve had to learn and figure out. And that’s going to be a process for me as we get to the 500 and how we go about it.”
Does the tone of an IndyCar team’s season change once they get that first win crossed off?
“Truthfully, no, not really. It’s not that different when you win a race,” Josef explained. “I do think it has an effect on the team morale, the team atmosphere, the way everyone feels and looks at things. Particularly in our case — a lot of it is the same group that ran with Juan Pablo Montoya, but with me joining it, it was essentially a new group.
“So having success early in a new situation is really good for everybody. I think that just puts belief in what we’re all doing and helps everybody be a little more at ease going to the racetrack. For sure, I think it has a positive effect.”
Speaking of Montoya, Josef is in a unique position for this year’s Indianapolis 500. He took over the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet from Montoya this season but the two-time Indy 500 winner will be back with Team Penske in the No. 22 entry, allowing Josef to work alongside the man who was in his car before him. Does he think that will be a benefit in the month of May?
“Oh, hugely. I’m excited to be his teammate,” he enthused. “He’s a great driver, someone I’ve looked up to since I was a kid. I’m excited to see what he does on the racetrack, really up close and personal. For me it’s going to be an awesome experience and it’s going to be good for Team Penske, that they have five cars that are all capable of winning the race. They’re going to have a good shot at getting it done.”
Newgarden may have one of the best shots at winning the 101st Indianapolis 500. Last year he finished on the podium for IndyCar’s biggest race, and even though that was with a different team, there are still things he can take away from that strong showing and put toward this year’s attempt.
“I think so,” he said. “You kind of go through the years at Indianapolis and you learn what works, what doesn’t. You learn the timing of the event. It’s all about timing. You have a lot of time there. You’re working, you’re practicing, qualifying and racing, and it’s all over two weeks. You take the experience of how you plan the month, how you go about it from a timing standpoint and you try and apply that year after year. So I think there are some things I will draw from, for sure.”
Given everything that has changed between last May and this May, though, what’s the standard he’s setting for himself in his first Indianapolis 500 with Team Penske?
“Honestly, I think winning is really the only standard that you can set for the 500. That’s really the only standard we do set,” he explained. “It’s a single event in it’s own in a lot of respects, in that you get one chance to win it every year. If you go to Indianapolis, all you want to do is win the race.
“Yes, it has points so it goes towards the championship; it has double points so it’s even more important. But I think you try and set the standard that winning the race is all that’s acceptable for us. That’s just how the Indy 500 is; that’s really the only event you’re going to do that at.”
Aside from looking ahead to the month of May, Josef Newgarden also has a unique perspective on one of the most interesting happenings so far in the IndyCar season. Fans watched in awe as JR Hildebrand drove in the Phoenix Grand Prix with a broken bone in his hand.
Not only is Josef JR’s former teammate, but he also injured his hand in the 2016 season and was still able to go out and win. So what did he think of what JR was able to do in 2017?
“JR did a great job. He was awesome at Phoenix,” he told us. “He had to fight through the aftermath of having a broken bone in his hand, and he drove masterfully. He had a great weekend. I was really happy for him. I think he’s a real talented driver and a great guy. I was happy to see him have some success there and do a great job.
“Last year, we were dealing with the collarbone and broken hand and getting back on the race circuit pretty quick is what you’ve got to do. When you don’t have a lot of hobbies outside of racing, you’ve got to focus on getting back into the car as quickly as possible. That is our hobby; that’s what we like to do.”
Next: Current Verizon IndyCar Series championship standings
Fans can watch Josef Newgarden in the IndyCar Grand Prix this Saturday, May 13 and the 101st Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 28. For the latest news throughout IndyCar, follow the Motor Sports category at FanSided here.