Borg-Warner Trophy Special Edition with back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, IMS President Doug Boles and BorgWarner’s Michelle Collins

BRUCE:

IndyCar fans, it's time to start your engines. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy, a production of Evergreen Podcast. I'm your host, Bruce Martin, a journalist who regularly covers the NTT IndyCar Series. Our goal at Pit Pass Indy is to give racing fans an insider's view of the exciting world of the NTT IndyCar Series in a fast-paced podcast featuring interviews with the biggest names in the sport. I bring nearly 40 years of experience covering IndyCar and NASCAR, working for such media brands as NBCSports.com, SI.com, ESPN SportsTicker, Sports Illustrated, AutoWeek and SpeedSport. So let's drop the green flag on this episode of Pit Pass Indy. Welcome to Pit Pass Indy as we continue our fourth season of giving IndyCar fans a behind-the-scenes look at the NTT IndyCar Series and the drivers and teams that compete in the Indianapolis 500. It's a season of celebration as the holidays are approaching. For IndyCar, that means it's also time to celebrate the newest face on the BorgWarner Trophy and the most recent winner of the Indianapolis 500. But it's a familiar face. It's Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, who became the sixth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024. Newgarden joins Wilbur Shaw in 1939 and 1940, Maury Rose in 1947 and 1948, Bill Vukovich in 1953 and 1954, Al Unser in 1970 and 1971, and Elio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002 as back-to-back winners of the world's biggest and most famous race. Newgarden was honored at a special ceremony in Indianapolis on December 4th when his latest face was unveiled on the famed BorgWarner Trophy. PitPass Indy was there, and on this special BorgWarner Trophy edition, we have exclusive interviews with Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Bowles, BorgWarner Global Director of Marketing and Communications Michelle Collins, and the man himself, Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden. Let's start off with this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview with Bowles as the president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway speaks to the history of this year's Indy 500 and having just the sixth driver to score back-to-back Indianapolis 500 wins. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is the president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's Doug Bowles. We're here at the unveiling of the BorgWarner trophy. A lot of people are going to be seeing double this time because we have the same face, albeit a little bit different from 2023 that's on the 2024 trophy. Of course, that's Josef Newgarden of Team Penske. It's a rarity for you. This is the first time in your tenure as IMS president we've had a back-to-back Indy 500 winner. How special is tonight?

DOUG:

Yeah, it's really special. In fact, in my tenure as president since 2013, we've only had one person win the race twice, and that was Takuma Sato. So to have it back-to-back hadn't happened since Elio Castroneves did it. And for Josef to be just the sixth person in our history to go back-to-back, it is a really special moment. We're going to have some fun, not just with the BorgWarner trophy, but with some other things that we're going to do as we lead into the Indy 500 with that sort of seeing double with Josef winning two in a row.

BRUCE:

We've never had a driver win the Indianapolis 500 three straight years. Josef is only the sixth driver to ever win back-to-back Indianapolis 500s because of the way the race has changed over the years, a lot more competitive, different dynamic in the race. Josef running for Team Penske, there's no reason to think he can't be the first three-in-a-row winner of the Indy 500.

DOUG:

I think he's got a really good chance, just given the reliability of the cars these days and just how good Team Penske happens to be. So I think he does have a really good chance of winning three in a row. You know, Elio almost did it in the early 2000s. And if you look at, you know, Murray Rose and Wilbur Shaw, who are three-time winners, they were close. They had some gaps between, but were really close. And then Bill Vukovic, you know, really could have been a four-time winner with a little bit different luck there. I definitely think though Josef has maybe one of the best opportunities to be a three-peat of and maybe even of the five previous drivers to go back-to-back.

BRUCE:

Outside of the month of May and everything that happens at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and of course your other races that are contested at IMS, how significant is this day when you unveil the newest face on the BorgWarner Trophy?

DOUG:

Well, it's a significant day for us. The BorgWarner Trophy means so much to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500. The history of it, you know, it's been here since 1936, but obviously has all the winners going back to 1911. And I think every year that you get to add a face to the BorgWarner Trophy is a pretty big moment. And this is sort of one of those days that just tells you we're on the countdown to the next Indianapolis 500. So one of those marquee moments throughout the year that just reminds you that the next race is coming.

BRUCE:

Roger Penske owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He owns IndyCar. He also owns Team Penske. It was his record-extending 20th Indianapolis 500 victory. We all know how much he wanted that. So how much do you share in how special it is with the man who owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that you get to go to work at every day?

DOUG:

I don't know that it's, maybe it's a little different because I know how much it means to Roger, but for me, it's fun when any winner wins the Indianapolis 500 because I know that it means so much to them. So I've taken an awful lot of joy in each of the drivers that have won the race and gotten to see their face on this beautiful BorgWarner trophy since I've been president. You know, maybe seeing Roger's team win, I get the chance to see Roger smile differently in victory lane than he might if he was congratulating somebody else, but for me, I don't know that it's any more special than anyone else winning the Indy 500.

BRUCE:

So Roger Penske, Team Penske's won the Indy 500 the last two years. They've won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship three years in a row. How special is that? Because that is something you can step back and enjoy.

DOUG:

Well, it's been fun to watch Roger's team succeed, not just in the A500 and NASCAR this year, but also in WEC and in IMSA. He's had a tremendous year in terms of Team Penske across the board. But I think the biggest thing as a race fan, if I step away from where I am at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a race fan, It's just really neat to know that the person that owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and is the reason that we get to continue having the Indianapolis 500 loves the sport of auto racing like Roger Penske does. You know, that's something that as fans, we should take an awful lot of pride and comfort in that the guy at the helm of this amazing event and this beautiful trophy really loves our sport, not just open wheel racing, but across the board, the sport in general.

BRUCE:

Another key partner in that is Shell, which is a key partner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Look at what they've been able to celebrate the last couple of years. Two Indy 500s with Josef Newgarden. This year, Joey Logano's third NASCAR Cup Series Championship. So from a business standpoint, how important is that for Shell?

DOUG:

Well, I think it's really important for Shell to be successful. It's important for a lot of the sponsors on all the teams to have a chance to highlight the relationship that they have. And the one thing that sponsors know they can't control, they can't control the outcome of the race. So when they are able to get that victory, when they're able to get multiple ones like Shell was able to have in 2024, those are always those are always special moments. And for me, you know, Shell owns Pennzoil in my days back in the Panther days when Pennzoil was our sponsor. There's a little bit of a soft spot in my heart for Shell. because of the Pennzoil connection and knowing how important that that yellow submarine that Scott McLaughlin put on the pole and that, you know, the yellow and shell that Josef was able to win the Indy 500 is. Those, I took a lot of pride and happiness in seeing that happen.

BRUCE:

Another historic moment. This is only the second time in Indianapolis 500 history the same team swept the front row. So how important was that for you to see that as the IMS president?

DOUG:

Well, I think for me, it was neat to see. It's a great story. But what I love about our qualifying format these days, and transparently, I may not have been the biggest proponent of it when we switched to the fast nine and now the fast 12 and the way that it works out. I found it to be really compelling and really exciting. The competition for pole position and for the front row of the Indianapolis five in our last few years has been outstanding. The speeds have been incredible. And then for Team Penske to actually put three cars on the front row, only the second time it's been done. Team Penske did it previously, several years ago. So for that to happen, it was a neat moment in our history. But what I love the most is just how competitive that qualifying format is and the way those things turn out.

BRUCE:

The Indianapolis 500 is an international race, but it is a great American tradition. And for the second straight year, you've had a driver from the United States as the winner. How much we're not downgrading anyway, anybody else that runs in the field, but in a lot of ways, it has to be a moment of pride for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the United States to have a homegrown winner.

DOUG:

Well, it's always good when the red, white and blue stripes, stars and stripes end up in victory lane there at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But honestly, what I love about our drivers across the board, no matter where they hail from, each of them understand the sport and each of them have their really cool stories to tell. And obviously, You know, I've talked a lot in my past. My favorite modern day IndyCar driver, with exception of my stepson, Connor Daly, is Tony Kanaan. And Tony Kanaan was not American. And when he won the Indianapolis 500, I would say that our crowd embraced him as if somebody from the United States has won that. And that's what I love about our crowd. I think they appreciate whoever wins that. Marcus Ericcson won. People love Marcus Ericcson winning. I think it's just because they know they've accomplished something. so super special. But on Memorial Day weekend, when you have an opportunity to have the Stars and Stripes in Victory Lane, it does mean something a little special.

BRUCE:

Speaking of traditions, the importance of BorgWarner and the Indianapolis 500 began in 1935. It continues today. Obviously the longest running sponsorship of any major sporting event with the same sponsor. Just how important is it to you to carry on that tradition of the BorgWarner Trophy with BorgWarner?

DOUG:

There's a few things in the Indianapolis 500 DNA that you absolutely could not do without, and one of them is the relationship with BorgWarner and this beautiful trophy, the BorgWarner Trophy. So it's super important. It tells the story of our history. It does it in such a cool, classy way. It celebrates those winners in a way that almost immortalizes them. So it is something that is as important maybe as the 500 miles and that glass of milk and the wreath that goes around the winner when they win, that it is something that is so much a part of the Indianapolis 500 right now that that relationship between Borg and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the NTT IndyCar Series is super important.

BRUCE:

It won't be that long till it's 2025 and things are going to get moving fast for the 109th Indianapolis 500. So just how excited are you already in December over that?

DOUG:

Well, we're pretty excited. And we'll get through the holiday season here. And then as soon as we come back right after the new year, It might as well be May. It goes that fast for us as we count down and we get ready to go. Ticket sales are stronger than they've ever been, which we've been saying the last few years, which is pretty crazy. My hope is that we can find our way to a grandstand sellout. And we're looking forward to our new broadcast partner with Fox Television. We're looking forward to the NTT IndyCar series kicking off and a whole bunch of things that happen as soon as we turn the clock on from 2024 to 2025. So as we tape this right now, we're 172 days out. And when we come back from that holiday break, We'll be closing in on 140 days, and that's just around the corner.

BRUCE:

It certainly is just around the corner. Doug Bowles, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, congratulations once again on unveiling the BorgWarner trophy with Josef Newgarden's second straight face. Good luck with the 109th Indianapolis 500, and thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you very much. Michelle Collins is BorgWarner's Global Director of Marketing and Communications. She explains to me the importance of BorgWarner's relationship with the Indianapolis 500 that dates back to 1935 and how, 88 years later, the company enjoys a historic relationship with the Indy 500. Here is my exclusive interview with Michelle Collins for PitPass Indy. It's an important day for our next guest. It's Michelle Collins, Global Director of Marketing and Communications for BorgWarner. It's probably the second most significant day outside of the month of May for the Indianapolis 500. It's when the BorgWarner trophy is unveiled with the latest winner's face. This year, for the second year in a row, it was Josef Newgarden and Team Penske. Just how exciting and how important of a day is this for you?

MICHELLE:

This is always one of my favorite days of the year. And thanks for having me, Bruce, by the way. It's just a lot of fun. I mean, it's not as exciting as the race, but it is a significant day. We have the face on there. It's unveiled. Finally, the public can see it. Then we get rolling with the baby borgs for the team owner and driver.

BRUCE:

And to see the look on Josef's face When he saw his face for the second year in a row, the fact that it was different than 2023, we look at ourselves in the mirror every day and we don't see the changes. But an artist, a sculptor such as William Behrens does, and he crafted the face. How cool of a moment was that for him to go, wow, I do look different.

MICHELLE:

I love that because I think like you said just people expect oh it's just been 365 days so it's gonna be exactly the same but we change a lot during that time I have a little a little more experience under our belt having had a previous win you know honestly I think that even changes his demeanor, the driver's demeanor during that month. Having that knowledge and the confidence that you didn't win before, but that you're trying again. And so maybe it makes you look a little bit more mature or a little bit older. But as I said, you know, Will is just such a professional and a perfectionist. And he was never going to just use the same one. There's finite differences year over year, day over day even.

BRUCE:

Sixth time in Indianapolis 500 history I believe that there's been a back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis 500. There was a $440,000 rolling jackpot that Borg Warner gave to Josef Newgarden. It began after Elio Castroneva, well it actually began 1995, but the only driver prior to Josef collecting it was Elio Castroneves when he won in 2001-2002. It rolled over so much it accumulated to $440,000. How big a day was that to finally give that check to a driver?

MICHELLE:

That was really cool because like I had mentioned in my little speech, you know, every year we have that check prepared. It's on standby. You know, we kind of go through the drill of when would we give it to him? You know, at what point in the, you know, steps that happen after the race, do we do that and get prepped and then it doesn't happen and we throw the check out. So last year or earlier this year, it was just really cool because we're like, wow, this is finally going to happen. Really get that check. The funniest thing, and this is a little known fact, is that it was actually misprinted the first time that it was printed. And luckily we have review processes and notice that and we're able to get it corrected before the race. Thank God we did.

BRUCE:

You told us about how the CEO of BorgWarner, Frederick LoSalde, got the Sharpie and signed the check over. My next question is, where did he find an ATM that that check would fit?

MICHELLE:

Well, I'll tell you what, we had the bill come into our accounts payable shortly after. So it was promptly delivered, but I'm glad that we have that. So it's a memento of the day that hopefully Josef still has.

BRUCE:

How important was it to BorgWarner, the company, to get that exposure that came from the rollover?

MICHELLE:

I think it just gets real exciting when the number gets big. I mean, obviously, year over year, it's still going to have some excitement, a little bit of enticement for somebody. But, you know, 20,000 as opposed to 440, that gets a lot of attention.

BRUCE:

Now, Josef was working you guys a little bit during the presentation. He thinks there should be a three-peat bonus. I don't know if that's gonna necessarily be in your budget, but maybe you can convince one of the other longtime partners of the Indianapolis 500 to kick in for a three-peat bonus.

MICHELLE:

Yeah, I'll see what I can do.

BRUCE:

I asked Doug Bowles, the president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this. The Indianapolis 500 is an international race. But it's a great American tradition. And for the second year in a row, a homegrown driver from the United States is the winner. How much does that really add to the Memorial Day vibe of the event?

MICHELLE:

The Indy 500 is just such a unique spectacle, such a unique event. The homage it pays to the day that the race is on, Memorial Day, is fabulous. And I would say it's great to have an American driver win, of course. But the thing I love about it is that a lot of the grid are drivers from other countries. So it's not just exclusive only to, you know, an American driver. And I feel like there is some reverence for those other drivers as well as to what that day symbolizes, you know, for us as Americans. So it's really a cool event in that perspective from my view.

BRUCE:

Another big day is coming up here in January. It's going to be when the Baby Borgs are presented to Roger Penske, the team owner. It'll be his record extending 20th Baby Borg trophy. And also to Josef Newgarden, his second. It'll be in the Detroit area. How important of a date is that for BorgWarner and the Indianapolis 500?

MICHELLE:

That's another great event that we've really kind of grown into to something greater I think over the years. I've been with the company since 2013 and we try to raise the bar on that every year even if it is a repeat. repeat driver. So, it's great to have it in the Detroit, Metro Detroit area. Of course, we've done others in other places, too. You know, it really is something that we lean on the team to tell us what works best for them, what they would enjoy, because the day is really about them.

BRUCE:

What is the secret to the longevity of BorgWarner with the Indianapolis 500? The BorgWarner trophy really began in 1935. It was part of Victory Lane in the 1936 Indianapolis 500. I can't think of any other sporting sponsorship relationship that's been as long continuously as BorgWarner and the Indianapolis 500. What is the reason why it has endured?

MICHELLE:

Well, I had mentioned before that one of the co-founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was also a founder of one of the four companies that came together to create BorgWarner in the 20s. And the cool thing is through all of the changes in our company, you know, before who we are today, That's just been something that everybody feels is very important. So the people before me and the people before them have just felt that this really signifies the inception of our company and feels it's worthy of maintaining and continuing on.

BRUCE:

And Michelle, there's going to be some other big news coming from Borg Warner, Frederick Lasalde, who's been a great friend of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar. The CEO, he's going to be retiring. When will that be? And if you could tell us about his replacement.

MICHELLE:

Yeah, so Fred, after many decades with the company, and Seven is our CEO, he'll be retiring in early February. Effective February 7th, Josef Fadul, who is our chief operating officer currently, is going to step into the CEO role. He's been with the company for about 13 years. Great, great guy, loves the Indianapolis 500, has been many times as an attendee, and next year will be an exciting one for him because he'll be the one to bestow the BorgWarner wreath onto the 2025 Indianapolis 500 winner.

BRUCE:

Well, Michelle Collins, you and BorgWarner's involvement in the Indianapolis 500, continuing the great tradition, is one of the great things about the Indianapolis 500. Congratulations on unveiling Josef Newgarden's second straight face in the trophy. Good luck with the 109th Indianapolis 500 and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thanks for having me. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break. Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. And now, let's hear from the winner of the 107th and 108th Indianapolis 500s. It's Team Penske's Josef Newgarden, who became the first driver since Elio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002 to win the Indy 500 in consecutive starts. That means it's the first time in 22 years and only the sixth time in history that the face of the same driver has been added to the BorgWarner trophy side-by-side. Here is my exclusive PitPass Indy interview with two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy is a man who's been 22 years in the making. It's the first time there's been a back-to-back face out of the Borg Warner Trophy. It's Josef Newgarden who won the 108th Indianapolis 500 on May 26th. Josef, we look at ourselves in the mirror every day, and we don't see a difference in our faces, but you saw a difference between the face that Will Barron's made of you in 2023 and the one of 2024. What did you see?

JOSEF:

Well, Bruce, he's capturing it in time. So I think I saw a different night before, you know, and a different morning. It was a little more fresh the second time around. I think I had a more professional evening the second time around than the first. And that certainly comes through. And there's a little bit of age difference there too. I think that the year still shows through and probably a little more wrinkles, but he did a great job. Will's just an incredible artist, sculptor. And, you know, I always enjoy getting to see what he does in his process. I mean, it's really painstaking, the detail that he goes through.

BRUCE:

You were only the sixth driver in Indianapolis 500 history to win back-to-back. Is that almost as big an accomplishment for you to realize as anything else that you've done?

JOSEF:

Definitely. I mean, I think the Indy 500 is, you know, what, you know, it can immortalize you within this sport. You know, I used to, I think even if you don't win it, you can still have an immensely significant career. And that's what speaks to the difficulty of Indy. You know, Indy is, People that probably should have won it never win it. Then there's some people that win it four times. It's just a tough race to get right, but there's nothing like it. There's no win that compares. It really is the top of the mountain and you feel that when you finally do win it.

BRUCE:

And you won your second straight Indianapolis 500 under the most unique of circumstances, one of the longest days in Indy 500 history. And when you reflect back on that day, it was almost like an endurance race that day that ended up like a sprint race.

JOSEF:

Yeah, it was a unique Indy 500. You know, I don't know that we've had one like it before. You know, the weather that came through really looked like it was going to push us to Monday. And then it cleared sort of miraculously. No one left. And then we ran into dusk and almost ran out of light and had probably one of the best final 50 laps I think we've had at the Indy 500. So it was a, it ended up turning into a great day, you know, and a day that didn't look like it was going to be a great day.

BRUCE:

The fact that it really was a great day for one thing, even after the long rain delay, the race started at a quarter to five in the afternoon. Everybody came back.

JOSEF:

I couldn't believe it. I was, I think that speaks to the Indy 500 and the tradition. the significance of what it means to this state, this town, to the families, you know, everyone was there. I wasn't sure what it was going to look like. I thought maybe it'll be half full, three quarters full, hopefully three quarters full, and it was full. I mean, it looked normal, like no one had left. So I just don't, I don't know where else you get that. You know, when you have what feels like a, you know, a typhoon that's going to roll through. I know we're not close to the ocean, but it was like, it was like that intense. And you would just think everyone would go home and not come back and everyone stuck around.

BRUCE:

Because the Indianapolis 500 winner gets to celebrate it for a whole year, thanks to BorgWarner, they put you on a victory tour, they give you a lot of gifts, you get to go have your face sculpted, they put it to the trophy, you get a baby Borg, you end up on the ticket to the race. I guess you enjoyed it so much the first time that you thought, why end the celebration after one year? Let's keep it going for another 12 months.

JOSEF:

Well, at this point, we might as well not stop. Bruce, we'll just keep it as an annual thing. It's amazing what you get to experience when you win the race. You think you know what it means, and you see other people go through it, and you can imagine it. You really can't imagine it that well until you see it for yourself, but it's just something to cherish, this event, and you really understand the significance of it and why it is what it is. BorgWarner is a huge component of that. They protect the sacredness of the race's traditions, and certainly the BorgWarner Trophy is a big part of that. Nights like tonight and being able to go through all these little processes that you get to experience as the winner is something that will never get old.

BRUCE:

Your second straight Indianapolis 500 win was team owner Roger Penske's record-extending 20th. How special was that?

JOSEF:

Very special. Special for, you know, Roger and to see him experience it. You know, I remember him, I remember everybody talking about 20 was the number that he wanted. And, you know, it quickly changed after we won it 20 times to now it's, now it's, you know, he wants 21 or 25. I don't even know what it is, but he wants more than 20. So, you know, these last two wins have been his first wins as the owner of the Speedway, too, and that's quite significant in its own way. I mean, Roger cares about that facility, that place, the history more than probably anyone else. And, you know, I think for him, it was probably a very big milestone in his life. So, for me, it was very special to be a part of it.

BRUCE:

For the second straight year, your sponsor was shell and you drove the shell sponsored car into victory lane to win the Indianapolis 500. The last two years they've done pretty well in other forms of racing too. This year, Joey Logano won his third NASCAR cup series championship, third straight for Roger Penske. So when you reflect back on shells wave of success, what do you think of that?

JOSEF:

Well, they've had a good run, haven't they? They've been a tremendous partner of ours at Team Penske. We obviously run Shell Fuel throughout the entire field. We're all running on sustainable fuel thanks to Shell, but we get to carry their livery and the iconicness that they bring to the sport. Through Joey, like you said, winning the championship and winning two Indy 500s back-to-back, it's been a good run. I think they understand the ebb and flow of motorsports. It's not always this good, but this stretch has been particularly satisfying, I got to think, for everybody.

BRUCE:

Were you cheering for Joey Logano that day?

JOSEF:

I was cheering for Team Penske. You know, certainly it was gratifying, and I'm sure Shell was over the moon, but I wasn't concerned with who won. I just was hopeful, as I'm sure Roger was, that one of the cars won.

BRUCE:

And our final question for two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden. BorgWarner is as much a part of the tradition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the race itself, and to be able to be honored for the rest of time, two times on the Borg Warner trophy. How do you begin to describe the role that Borg Warner plays in the success of the Indianapolis 500?

JOSEF:

Well, it's, it's, you know, it's, as I spoke of, they, they are a custodian of the event of the traditions that the trophy is such a iconic part of it. And they, you know, they keep that cherished and operating at the level it should. And it's one of the things that makes Indy so great and the Indy 500 what it is. So we're, you know, indebted to BorgWarner and not only their collaboration on the performance side and giving us great turbochargers, but, you know, it's the history, it's the tie-in together, it's protecting what's important about this event and they do it so well. So yeah, can't thank them enough.

BRUCE:

Double vision for the fans that come up to see the Borg Warner Trophy. It's Josef Newgarden, back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis 500. Congratulations on that great accomplishment. Have a very happy holiday. Good luck in 2025, and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy. Thank you, Bruce. Happy holidays. And that puts a checkered flag on this special edition of Pit Pass Indy. We want to thank our guests, Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Bowles, BorgWarner Global Director of Marketing and Communications Michelle Collins, and back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske for joining us on this special BorgWarner Trophy edition of Pit Pass Indy. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy your path to victory lane in IndyCar. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at X, previously known as Twitter, at BruceMartin, one word, uppercase B, uppercase M, underscore 500. This has been a production of Evergreen Podcast. A special thanks to our production team, executive producers are Bridget Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. Recordings and edits were done by me, Bruce Martin, and final mixing was done by Dave Douglas. Learn more at evergreenpodcast.com. Until next time, be sure to keep it out of the wall.

JOSEF:

you