'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUG/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABP/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAzFoOj//EAB8QAAECBgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDBAABBQYSExEy0v/aAAgBAQABPwC2KkrU2tujnrWcnVFFuB7aZBrGCavcp+pR/8QAGBEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxH/2gAIAQIBAT8AsWSP/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDIv/aAAgBAwEBPwCelP/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ashley Newgarden, wife of two-time and defending Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden, reacted to Pato O’Ward’s Instagram story with a two-word message. She posted the comment while resharing the Arrow McLaren driver’s IG story, where she was seen supporting O’Ward’s latest merch drop.
O’Ward shared a picture of Ashley wearing a white “O’Ward Racing Club” cap. She was also holding what appeared to be a green t-shirt from his online store, Patricio O’Ward Shop. Ashley gave a thumbs up to the camera, signaling her approval of the gear.
O’Ward captioned the post, writing:
“@ashleynewgarden approves of the new merch @patoowardshop 🤭” and tagged Josef Newgarden as well.
Trending
Reacting to O’Ward’s post, Ashley simply wrote:
“Mixing drivers 🤫”
Pato O’Ward’s merchandise store features a wide range of products, including clothing, collectibles, and special items for fans of all ages. Josef Newgarden also has his merch line available through shop.josefnewgarden.com. The store offers official apparel, signed memorabilia, and exclusive items.
Josef and Ashley regularly promote the merchandise by wearing the pieces on social media and the website. The Newgardens have been a strong couple in the IndyCar world. They met in 2012 when Ashley worked as a Disney Princess at Tokyo Disneyland. Josef proposed to her in 2018 during a trip to Kyoto, and the two got married in 2019 in Nashville.
In 2022, they welcomed their first child, Kota Nicolai Newgarden. In 2024, the couple co-wrote a children’s book, Josef’s BIG Dream: An Indy 500 Story, focused on inspiring kids to follow their dreams. Ashley also released her book titled Goodnight Racetrack, a bedtime story introducing young readers to motorsport through their son’s nightly routine.
Josef Newgarden once revealed his wife's sympathy towards Pato O'Ward
After winning the 2024 Indy 500 in dramatic fashion, Josef Newgarden shared that his wife, Ashley, felt deep sympathy for the driver he beat, Pato O’Ward. The Team Penske star passed O’Ward in Turn 3 of the final lap to win his second straight Indy 500. While Josef celebrated, O’Ward was left in tears after coming so close to victory.
In an interview with NBC Sports the next day, Newgarden shared that Ashley was moved by O’Ward’s heartbreak. Having seen her husband struggle to win the Indy 500 for 11 years, she knew the pain of coming up short.
“My wife said it was very heartbreaking, and she was pretty adamant that I spoke with him, and we texted. Yeah, we did text,” the Penske driver shared.
Josef Newgarden explained that there’s mutual respect between him and O’Ward, especially given their history of close battles on oval tracks. He also shared how much the moment affected Ashley emotionally.
“Ashley was like, 'This was just devastating what happened to him.' She felt so bad, and I'm like, 'Ash, like What do you want (me) to tell you?'” Josef added.
Josef Newgarden has not had the best of starts to his 2025 IndyCar campaign and is sitting in the sixth spot in the Drivers’ standings with 96 points to his name. He trails the championship leader, Alex Palou, by a massive 153 points.
Stay updated with the 2025 IndyCar schedule, standings, qualifying, results today, series news, and the latest IndyCar racing news all in one place.
