Josef Newgarden shares defeated message after terrifying crash at WWTR extends "trying" IndyCar phase

Josef Newgarden has shared his feelings after his horrendous crash with Louis Foster at IndyCar's Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on Sunday (June 15). The Team Penske driver was leading the race on lap 127 when Foster, a backmarker ahead of him, crashed into the barriers in Turn 4 and spun towards the pit barriers.

Alex Palou swerved to the right, while Newgarden went left. Palou's move proved to be the right one, as Newgarden went straight into Foster's spinning car and got squeezed into the barriers. That made his car go airborne, flip upside-down and drag onto the track with sparks going off.

The AMR safety team jumped onto the scene within seconds and ensured he was safe. The aeroscreen saved his life. After Josef Newgarden was seen and released from the medical centre, he refused to give interviews.

However, the two-time Indy 500 winner opened up about the incident on social media on Monday. He wrote about his and his No. 2 squad's dreadful run this season:

"Not sure what to say, other than thank you to the AMR safety team and the safety of the car. Seemed like everything was going our way last night, until it wasn’t. Not much you can do in a situation like that. This season has been pretty trying for everyone on the 2 crew. Only thing to do is look forward. It will only make the successes even sweeter. See you in Road America!"

Josef Newgarden was a favorite to win at WWTR, considering his history at the 1.25-mile oval, where he has won five times. However, Team Penske had bad luck across the board, with all three drivers not finishing the race. Pole-sitter Will Power retired with a contact-induced puncture on lap 47, while Scott McLaughlin had a mechanical issue on lap 216 of 260.

Newgarden's 2025 season began with a podium but has since gone downhill. Even his attempt at a third consecutive Indy 500 victory was spoiled by Team Penske's qualifying controversy. In the race, he went from P32 to P6, and only when it looked like he could take a historic victory, a fuel pump issue on his car in the second half of the race led to a retirement.

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What Louis Foster said about "pretty scary impact" with Josef Newgarden

Marshals attend to Louis Foster after crash at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

Louis Foster came into the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 after a disappointing Detroit GP, where a suspension failure on his No. 45 RLL car caused him to crash at over 180 mph. Moreover, he took Felix Rosenqvist with him, and the Meyer Shank Racing driver suffered more damage.

Foster's crash at WWTR on Sunday was similar. Though it wasn't a fault on his car that caused it, it was another driver, Josef Newgarden, who suffered more. After the race, the rookie explained what caused the incident.

"I got a bit of a wiggle ... got a bit too high and went into the marbles. I just couldn’t stop the car from spinning and, obviously, a pretty scary impact with myself and Josef. I’m glad he is OK," the British driver said via FOX Sports.

Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood won the race, reducing the championship points gap to Alex Palou from 102 to 75. As for Newgarden, he had a steep drop from 12th to 16th in the standings.