Roger Penske’s team woes deepen as Josef Newgarden slips in INDYCAR title chase

Team Penske star Josef Newgarden had another weekend to forget at the IndyCar race at Road America. The two-time Indy 500 winner retired from yet another race and scored only 5 points, and further dropped a position in the IndyCar standings as the Team Penske driver’s struggles continued.

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyffin Simpson started the race in Road America in P23, but was able to finish P6 and led a couple of laps courtesy of the cautions & strategy. Simpson scored 29 points at Road America and overtook Josef Newgarden in the standings to get up to 16th.

After the Road America race weekend, Newgarden sits 17th in the Drivers' standings with merely 137 points to his name, 249 points behind the IndyCar championship leader, Alex Palou. The Team Penske driver has only finished in the Top 5 once since the start of the season and managed just three Top 10 results in the first nine races.

Josef Newgarden and Team Penske have shown the pace at multiple IndyCar venues but have failed to convert it into results for one reason or another. Driver errors, bad luck with the caution timing and reliability issues have all played a part in Team Penske's struggles.

AUTO: JUN 22 INDYCAR XPEL Grand Prix at Road America - Source: Getty

The season got off to a great start for Newgarden with a podium at St. Pete but has since then been a downhill trajectory for the #2 Chevrolet. The 34-year-old was having a strong race at Long Beach before his seat belt came undone, and he finished a couple of laps behind the leader.

The Indy 500 weekend was filled with troubles, which started with the withdrawal during the Top 12 qualifying session following the modified attenuator controversy. Tim Cindric, along with a couple of other senior Team Penske members, were fired by Roger Penske. During the race, Josef Newgarden got into the Top 10 after starting from the back. However, an issue with the fuel system led to another retirement.

Newgarden was in the lead at the World Wide Technology Raceway when Louis Foster lost control of the car and crashed into the Team Penske driver. At the Road America race, Newgarden lost control of the car and smashed into the barrier, which caused race-ending damage to his car.

Coming into the 2025 season, Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden were among the favorites to challenge for the IndyCar title but haven't lived up to the expectations.

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“Another one to forget”: Josef Newgarden reflects on the IndyCar race at Road America

Following the DNF at Road America, Josef Newgarden came out and reflected on the tough race weekend. However, the Team Penske driver was positive about changing the tide for the second half of the season, and he looked forward to the IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio.

Newgarden's tweet on X read:

“Welp, another one to forget. Completely on me today, just pushed a little too hard and couldn’t save it. Still love racing around Road America, even if it’s legitimately hotter than hell. Nice little reset and onto Ohio. Things will turn for the 2 crew, don’t sleep on us!”

The Mid-Ohio IndyCar race takes place on July 6, with the race weekend beginning on July 4 with the practice session.