"It doesn't last forever": Josef Newgarden laments 'bizarre' IndyCar run with Team Penske

Josef Newgarden is having a series of misfortunes in the 2025 IndyCar season with Team Penske. The two-time Indy 500 winner has acknowledged the severity of the situation, but remains positive about the terrible cycle ending soon.

In the last three races, before the upcoming Iowa double-header, Newgarden has recorded three consecutive DNFs. The first of the three wasn't his fault, as he got collected by a spinning Louis Foster at the WWT Raceway. However, the latter two incidents, at Road America and Mid-Ohio, involved him losing control of his No. 2 Chevy and spinning out of both races.

Ahead of the Iowa race weekend, Josef Newgarden spoke about his horrendous run in 2025. He said, via Hendersonville Standard:

"Sometimes there’s been stuff out of our control – more times than not, it’s been stuff outside of our control. Sometimes, it’s been mistakes here or there. But it’s just one of those bizarre years in the cycle. We just refocus on each race individually. You get in a wave like this, it doesn’t last forever."

Fortunately or unfortunately for Newgarden, he isn't Team Penske's only driver with bad luck. All three drivers, including Scott McLaughlin and Will Power, are witnessing their results tank in both qualifying and the race.

Moreover, the efforts towards recovery seemed to have slowed down with the internal reshuffle in senior management by team owner Roger Penske after the Indy 500 scandal affecting operations. Newgarden sits in a lowly 19th position in the standings.

Josef Newgarden offers a fresh reason for 'bizarre' lap 1 crash at IndyCar Mid-Ohio race

Josef Newgarden's crashed car gets towed by safety crew at IndyCar's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio - Source: Getty

Josef Newgarden's weekend at Mid-Ohio was one to forget. He got knocked out in Round 1 of qualifying, as did both of his Team Penske teammates. Moreover, on the first lap of the race, the rear axle on the two-time IndyCar champ's car unusually locked up, which sent him spinning into the barriers going into Turn 4.

Newgarden had no explanation to offer for the 'bizarre' lock-up in the post-incident interview with FOX reporter Georgia Henneberry. However, ahead of the Iowa weekend, he shared that the crash could've been caused by something in the Indy NXT race, which took place at the track before IndyCar's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

"The only explanation that we can come up with is the oil dried that was on the straightaway from the Indy NXT race," Josef Newgarden said, via Hendersonville Standard. "It must have hit it just perfectly."

The upcoming Iowa double-header will be Team Penske's best shot at redemption. They dominated the 0.875-mile short oval in 2024, with Scott McLaughlin winning Race 1 and Will Power winning Race 2.