Days after being punished to last place, Josef Newgarden tops final Indy 500 practice

Friday was Carb Day ahead of the Indy 500, and Josef Newgarden wasted little time shrugging off the controversies that had engulfed the Penske team. With his visor down for the session, the 34-year-old topped the final practice ahead of the main race at the famed oval circuit.

The Nashville native, who—alongside Penske teammate Will Power—had earlier been disqualified from the qualifying session for the Indianapolis event, clocked a best lap of 225.687 mph to lead the field through the two-hour session. Newgarden was followed closely by Takuma Sato, with the veteran Japanese driver registering a top speed of 225.415 mph.

Sato was trailed by fellow veteran Scott Dixon, who powered his Chip Ganassi car to a staggering 225.200 mph. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Devlin DeFrancesco clocked the fourth-fastest time with a best lap of 224.778 mph. The Canadian racer was followed by Power, who posted a time of 224.419 mph to round out the top five fastest drivers.

Pole sitter Robert Shwartzman struggled to find his rhythm in his Prema car and could only manage a time good enough for 29th on the grid. Other top contenders for the Indy 500 victory, including Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou, could only muster times fast enough for eighth and 14th, respectively.

However, it was Josef Newgarden whose name continued to reverberate around the paddock following his mega lap time at the Brickyard circuit. The former Ed Carpenter Racing driver is poised for a third consecutive Indy 500 title. Still, the controversy surrounding his qualification means he faces a tall order storming through the grid come race day.

---

Josef Newgarden speaks about winning his third consecutive Indy 500

Josef Newgarden recently reflected on the opportunity to win his third consecutive Indy 500 title. The Nashville native is on the cusp of history, as no driver in the history of the Indianapolis race has claimed the Borg-Warner Trophy three years in a row.

The Team Penske driver, who joined an elite group of drivers when he pulled a last-lap pass on Pato O’Ward to secure back-to-back victories in 2024, became the first driver since Helio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002 to accomplish this feat. During his interaction with the media via The Athletic, Newgarden stated:

“The facts are the facts. We have an opportunity to do it. It is history. It is winning the Indianapolis 500 three times in a row. And it feels like it has very long odds, considering it’s never happened in the 108-year history of the world’s biggest auto race. I dream of winning this race five times. That doesn’t fade.”

Josef Newgarden becomes just the sixth driver to attempt to win the Indy 500 title for the third consecutive time in the 109-year history of the racing showpiece. Of the five drivers who have found themselves in similar circumstances, only two came close to recording victory — Al Unser Sr. in 1972 and Castroneves in 2003 — with both drivers finishing second in their respective races.

Newgarden, though, faces an uphill battle. He is set to start the race on the last row following a qualifying disqualification due to a rear attenuator modification.