Josef Newgarden's wife expresses disappointment over IndyCar season following racer's early race setback

IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden's wife, Ashley, recently shared an Instagram story after her husband's P12 finish at the Sonsio Grand Prix at IMS Road Course on Saturday. Ashley contemplated the past five races of the season and the bad luck that struck the reigning Indy 500 champion.

Team Penske's Newgarden qualified P6 for the showdown at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, he had to give up his position due to a power unit issue, which forced him to start the race from the back of the grid. While he made up 15 places to finish in P12, his top-of-the-charts performance in the Warmup had his fans and family eyeing the podium.

This wasn't the first time Josef Newgarden faced an issue this season. Two races ago, at the Long Beach Grand Prix, a safety belt issue dropped him to P27 despite starting P15. Disappointed after witnessing yet another problem, his wife, Ashley, let her thoughts be known in an Instagram story.

"If it wasn't for back luck, would we have any luck at all this season," wrote Ashley Newgarden

Image via Instagram (@ashleynewgarden)

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Josef Newgarden wants to create history at the Indy 500

AUTO: DEC 04 INDY 500 Winner Josef Newgarden Borg Warner Trophy Ceremony - Source: Getty

Competing in his 14th season in IndyCar, Josef Newgarden is on a mission to make history at the series’ most prestigious race, the Indianapolis 500. After securing victory in 2023, he followed it up with a successful title defense in 2024, fending off fierce competition, particularly from Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward.

Speaking on a recent episode of Athletes and Assets with Noah Lack, Newgarden shared his ambition to achieve a rare feat: becoming the first driver to win the Indy 500 three years in a row.

"Winning the Indianapolis 500 again and then following it up with a championship. That's kind of been the hardest thing to do for most individuals as of late because typically when you win the Indy 500 you have this thing that's called like 'the Indy 500 hangover' where you know you just kind of have some rough races afterwards."

"Like we all care tremendously about the championship that is what shows you how the year really went so I want us to figure out how to win that Indy 500 again but more importantly if we win it again I want to figure out how we win the championship on top of it,” Josef Newgarden said via Athletes and Asssets. [55:16 onwards]

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The 2025 edition marks the 109th running of the iconic Indianapolis 500, one of the three legendary races that form motorsport’s coveted Triple Crown. Although the event has been held since 1911, no driver has ever managed to claim victory three years in a row. The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is scheduled for Sunday, May 25th.