Celebrating Josef Newgarden’s second-straight victory in the Indianapolis 500 with Josef Newgarden, wife Ashley Newgarden, race strategist Jonathan Diuguid and Chevrolet Vice President of Performance Vehicles Jim Campbell

ROGER:

This is Roger Penske and you're listening to Pit Pass Indie, sponsored by Penske Truck Rental.

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 and insiders 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 this special Indianapolis 500 edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental 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. The 108th Indianapolis 500 is over and it once again delivered with a spectacular event. Despite a four-hour rain delay to start the race, 347,000 fans waited it out and were in their seats for a race that didn't start until 4.45 p.m. Eastern Time. What they saw after the drop of the green flag was stunning. It was a race that was fierce, fearless, frantic, even risky, with drivers racing three wide and even four wide approaching the turns. There were eight caution periods for 46 laps, nearly one quarter of the race under the yellow, but none of the incidents were serious and there were no injuries. It was the 154 laps of green flag racing that proved why the Indianapolis 500 is unlike any other sporting event in the world. There were a record 16 different leaders in Sunday's race with 49 lead changes. Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin led the most laps in the race with 64. But in the end, it was a five-car battle between drivers Josef Newgarden, Pato Award, Alexander Rossi, Scott Dixon, and Alex Pillow that all had a shot at the victory in the closing portion of the race. The last eight laps were a two-car battle between Newgarden and Award with four lead changes heading to the checkered flag. The crowd erupted in cheers when Newgarden took the lead at the end of lap 199 down the front straight heading into turn one. But on the final lap, Newgarden's number two Chevrolet tracked down awards number five Chevrolet, went to the outside and made the race winning pass in turn three and on to the checkered flag for his second straight Indianapolis 500 victory. Six times the race has been decided with a race-winning pass on the final lap, including the last two years in a row. Newgarden becomes the first back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winner since Elio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002. He collected an additional $440,000 from BorgWarner as part of its rollover bonus that began in 1995. Each year a driver does not win a second straight Indy 500, $20,000 is added to the jackpot total. Newgarden claimed it was Sunday's win and became the first driver to win more than $4 billion in a single Indianapolis 500. Newgarden earned $4.288 million from a total purse of $18,456,000. It was also team owner Roger Penske's record extending 20th Indianapolis 500 win. We'll hear from the winning driver later in today's edition of Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. But first, let's hear from Team Penske's Jonathan Duguid, who was called into duty from the team's Porsche-Penske Motorsport IMSA program to lead New Garden's crew as race strategist after Team Penske president Tim Sindrick was one of four members of the team serving out a suspension from the push-to-pass scandal earlier this month. Here's my exclusive interview with Jonathan do good the morning after the big win in the Indianapolis 500 or pit pass. Joining us now on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental is the winning team race strategist for Josef Newgarden at the 108th Indianapolis 500. It's Jonathan Duguid. Jonathan, you've been an old pro at the Indy 500, but this is the first time the car that you worked on won the race, and it's got to be one of the biggest thrills of a lifetime.

JONTAHAN:

Yeah, absolutely. It's definitely a career high point and, you know, it came under a little bit of an odd circumstances, but everybody executed yesterday and I'm just really proud to be able to represent Team Penske and bring this win home for everyone.

BRUCE:

You're currently running the Porsche-Penske Motorsport Program in IMSA, and earlier this season, about a month ago, you gave Roger Penske his 100 sports car victory, followed that up with his 20th Indianapolis 500 victory, which extends a record here at the Indianapolis 500, to be able to be a key part of those two milestone accomplishments. How honored do you feel to be part of that?

JONTAHAN:

Yeah, again, it's amazing. I think, you know, the biggest thing about Team Penske and the organization that Rogers put together is everybody has the opportunity to succeed and the tools and everything you need to do that. And so to be able to execute and have him there for the 100th win in Laguna Seca, I think he had a lot of airline miles to make sure he was there. But, you know, it was really, really rewarding. And it's been a it's been a dream career so far.

BRUCE:

Now, you've been a longtime participant of the Indianapolis 500. You were Elio Castronovo's race engineer. When did it begin for you here at Indy?

JONTAHAN:

I think my first year was 2008 when I ran the Lusso Dragon car. Don't quote me, maybe it was 7, but it's 2008 with Ryan Briscoe. And had some triumphs over the year, got the pole with Ryan in 2012 by, I think, the smallest margins ever still. I have to go back and check that, but it's been, you know, 15 years, and I finished second a couple times with Elio there, so I know, you know, I know the disappointments, but it's amazing to be able to know the joys of winning this race.

BRUCE:

It also shows how deep the bench is at Team Penske. You were without Team President Tim Sendrick, who normally calls the race strategy, also IndyCar manager Ron Rzewski, and Luke Mason and Robbie Atkinson, who both were not allowed to participate at Indy because Roger Penske suspended them for what happened earlier in the year with the push-to-pass scandal. But the team didn't miss a beat, and in many ways, it was maybe a new way of looking at how to approach this race.

JONTAHAN:

Yeah, I think the four gentlemen you mentioned there were vital in the preparation and all the work because, you know, showing up with cars like this team did doesn't happen the week before. It happens in September, October, November of the year prior. And so the amount of effort and work that that group specifically put in put the team on the best foot possible to show up here and succeed.

BRUCE:

At Team Penske, they often move people from the IndyCar program over to the IMSA program, sometimes maybe even move them from the IndyCar or NASCAR Cup Series program to be able to have, as Roger calls it, cross-pollinization, to be able to have that ability to do that with the 500 people or so that work there. How important is that?

JONTAHAN:

It's really important because I think that, you know, the one thing we've realized is all the different series have different approaches to racing and all of us can learn from each other and so to be able to have three top level organizations in one building competing in the highest levels of motorsports makes us a better team all together and we can learn from how everybody approaches everything and come out with the best solutions.

BRUCE:

And I know it's always been a one team approach at Team Penske so everybody gets to celebrate and for only the second time in Indy 500 history The same team swept the front row. That has to be an extremely, incredibly proud accomplishment.

JONTAHAN:

Yeah, again, I think it just goes back to preparation, Bruce, and, you know, how the cars were prepared and the speed they have. You know, I think our three drivers, Josef, Scott, and Will, made it look easy, but it's not easy. It takes a lot of work, and for those guys to execute on track like that, both in qualifying, the pit stop competition, and the race, you know, we swept the whole weekend of the Indy 500, and that doesn't happen.

BRUCE:

Because of everything that has happened and transpired over the last month that it almost feel like we got to go out and win this one for Roger

JONTAHAN:

Yeah, I think a lot of people talk about pressure and expectations. I would say the pressure and the expectation is the same every weekend we show up to the racetrack. So the expectation is for us to win. We have the resources. We have the best drivers and the best crews and the best men and women on pit lane. So it's our job to carry the banner for the team and for Roger and execute regardless of the situation and regardless of the pressure.

BRUCE:

So when do you start switching gears from IndyCar back to IMSA?

JONTAHAN:

I think, you know, we'll take today to celebrate. You know, we get to go to the Indy 500 banquet today and then Detroit is just around the corner. So it'll be a short turnaround. But, you know, all of us have are some of the luckiest people in the world to do what we love every day. So it's it's it's no pressure.

BRUCE:

Has it sunk in yet just what happened here?

JONTAHAN:

I think it sunk in pretty quickly after the race, you know, being surrounded by what I call 300,000 of your closest friends to see, you know, one of the highlights of your life, I think, is a special situation that not too many people get to experience. And so it was pretty quick, and it was great to share it with all the people that stayed after the weather delay yesterday.

BRUCE:

It was a four-hour delay to start the race because of severe weather. But once everybody was allowed to return to the seats, I don't think anybody left. This place was packed, and what they saw as their reward for the four-hour wait was probably some of the most incredible racing we've seen here. Why was yesterday's 108th Indianapolis 500 so good?

JONTAHAN:

I mean, I think you had a combination of, you know, there was still a threat of rain, there was still a threat of the the race being shortened, so nobody could wait around, and so that's why people were pushing from the drop of the green flag to when the checkered flag fell, and IndyCar puts on an amazing show, and the teams that compete in the series are all amazing. We had a strong race with Aaron McLaren yesterday, and Ganassi was there too as well, and so when these top organizations put all their might behind this race, that's what you get is the product and the show that everyone saw yesterday, and it was amazing to watch from the timing stand, so I can only imagine what it was like from the stands or on TV.

BRUCE:

Did you talk to Tim Cenric and what did Roger say when everybody was up in Victory Lane?

JONTAHAN:

You know, I saw Roger up there on the podium and all he said was just, just thank you. And, you know, I returned, I returned it in kind and said thank you for the opportunity to RP and really happy to deliver it for you. And so, you know, it was an amazing day and an amazing, amazing day to see somebody that's accomplished so much in his life. bringing the level of excitement and joy when you see them when we win these races like this is something that I'll never forget. And then I was able to speak to Tim, you know, probably about an hour after the race finished and we got through all the pictures and stuff like that. And, you know, I feel gutted for those guys to not be able to be here and celebrate with the team. But that's the situation we're in. But I think, you know, winning makes everything better. And that's what we did yesterday.

BRUCE:

And a little bit about your background, where you're from, where you got your engineering degree.

JONTAHAN:

Sure, I'm a North Carolina native, so I'm one of the few people that I think is from North Carolina where our team is based, and I went to North Carolina State University with a mechanical engineering degree, and I've been lucky enough to work at Penske from graduating college in 2005 until today and had so many opportunities to be able to be in different series with different cars and amazing partners.

BRUCE:

And when you went to work for Team Penske, I would assume that you were a NASCAR guy. You were excited about NASCAR. But how do you feel now living in the Morrisville, North Carolina area where we see now more people are paying attention to what happens in IndyCar?

JONTAHAN:

Yeah, actually, my first opportunity was with RS Spider sports car program. So, you know, I think I I graduated in May and then spent my summer in Europe working on that program as we developed that car. But, you know, North Carolina has become a central hotbed much like Indiana for motorsports. I think, you know, Indiana and North Carolina are where people go to go racing. And, you know, they're both amazing states and a great opportunity for people to work.

BRUCE:

And, of course, the place where everybody wants to come and win is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. You were able to do it in the 108th Indianapolis 500. Jonathan Duguid, winning race strategist for Josef Newgarden. Back-to-back victory, by the way, for the driver. Congratulations on the incredible accomplishment and thank you for joining us today on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Thanks for your time, Bruce. We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

SCOTT:

Hi, I'm Scott McLaughlin, driver of the number three team Penske Chevy, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental. Jim Campbell is the Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports for General Motors. The Chevrolet brand dominated this year's Indianapolis 500. Campbell joins me to help celebrate the brand's latest victory in the Indy 500 in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. The day after the Indianapolis 500, and joining us now on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rentals, Jim Campbell, the vice president of performance and motorsports for General Motors, for Chevrolet, another victory at the Indianapolis 500. This has got to be one of the biggest reasons why Chevrolet is involved in racing.

JIM:

Well, this is one of the biggest races in the entire year. The Indy 500 is, we focus on it an entire year coming up to it. The team, our team, Chevrolet Engineering, the guys at Elmore, and our race teams work together in the off season in a big way to prepare for this Indy 500. We pushed really hard at qualifying, came away with a fast six all Chevys, started the race with eight Chevys at the starting grid. And so it was just a hell of a race. It was a great race and so proud of all of our teams. And within the top 12, I think we had seven, Seven drivers that were from Chevy in the top 12, and it represented five different Chevy teams. Really proud of their effort.

BRUCE:

And in the battle of Chevrolet versus Honda, it seems like during the month of May, Chevrolet had a decided advantage. Three of the top five were Chevrolets. Honda's had some problems at the back of the field early in the race yesterday. What do you attribute that to, why Chevrolet was able to provide a better engine program at Indy this year?

JIM:

Intensive focus on the off-season by those three entities, Chevy Engineering, our partners at Elmore, and the race teams. We all focused on what do we need to do together to prepare for this race. We gave the guys a little bit extra power where we could, and the guys worked hard on all the aero simulation work. And it really paid off, paid big dividends. And so that's what it takes. But you know what? You've got to have intense competition. We have a great competition with Honda. Some years they got the advantage, some years we got it. But the competition is what matters here. And whether you're a race driver or you're an OEM, when you win the Annapolis 500, it's very special because of that.

BRUCE:

And it wasn't just Team Penske or Errol McLaren that had really good, fast Chevrolets in the Indy 500. AJ Foyt Racing, once again, Santino Ferrucci, and a big surprise, Stingray Robb were key players in the race.

JIM:

There's no doubt. I mean, he's, you know, first of all, Santino, he did a heck of a job last year. He came right back at it. He was vying up there at the top. Stingray Robb led some laps. And I really, you know, shout out to All the teams that really brought focus and energy. You see in the top 12 how many different Chevrolet teams are represented. Couldn't be prouder of them all.

BRUCE:

Team Penske's 20th at Indianapolis 500 victory. Back-to-back wins for Josef Newgarden. How do you begin to put those into a historical perspective?

JIM:

Well, it's incredible. And that was our 13th win for Chevy Power here at the Speedway. So there was a lot of special moments yesterday. And to think Joe's a two-time winner here is incredible. I saw Roger Penske this morning, super proud of the effort by the team. He got his 20th, and then Chevrolet brought our 13th.

BRUCE:

Probably one of the proudest moments for anybody that was here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is after a four-hour rain delay, when it got time to start the race, 340,000 people were back in their seats. They didn't leave. They stuck it out, and they saw one of the most spectacular Indianapolis 500s in terms of just sheer competition.

JIM:

The fans for the Indy 500 are so loyal, so passionate, and they come here as family and friends year after year. They were not going anywhere, and they got a heck of a race all day long. I had a chance to do a tribute to the military, obviously Memorial Day weekend, honoring those who have give them the ultimate sacrifice for the country and also honor the military men and women that are here. And we looked out into the stands, they're jam-packed full. Every seat, every turn, and they got a great race. And we were proud to be just a small part of it.

BRUCE:

Why do you see the reason being why yesterday's race was just so fierce? Four wide going into turn one on restarts. It was incredible.

JIM:

The drivers, the teams, they know they have to be pushing to the maximum to have a shot to get to the front. And that's what they're doing. They're trying to take calculated risks at the right time. But let me tell you what, the intensity was so high, you couldn't give an inch to your competitor. And then you also have to be mindful, you had to get to the end, and that's what happened. The guys were really, really pushing hard all race long, and then they knew they had to get to the end and go for it. It was incredible, and I tell you the truth, you know, coming down there we had Chevys 1-2, and then somehow Scott Dixon got by Rossi there at the end. I don't know how that happened, but Rossi had a great race also. Super proud of those guys.

BRUCE:

Do you think it also had something to do with the fact that the race had to be over by 8.15, there was another storm that was going to approach later that night, and there was just a higher sense of urgency.

JIM:

Well, no doubt. I mean, if you get a one more rain delay with, you know, the evening coming quickly, the teams were thinking they got to get to the front and they got to go. Now the urgency was there. The passing was incredible. It was wheel to wheel 240 going down the straight. Absolutely incredible. And then obviously that Josef brought it home at the end. Really incredible race. And the fans responded just so, so energetically after the race and just incredible.

BRUCE:

But your heart has to go out to Padua Ward because the kid really wanted it.

JIM:

He wanted it and he was on, he was up on the wheel and he was leaning in. Super focused, gosh I think he's finished second here a number of times. I know he's hungry, he's young, he's gonna come back. He has the will, he has the passion, and boy oh boy, he has got a fan base that shows out in the thousands and thousands.

BRUCE:

It may be Memorial Day Monday here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. You're gonna get a chance to celebrate the victory later tonight at the Victory Awards celebration. But next weekend's a big race for Chevrolet, the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the streets of Detroit, right in front of your offices. How excited are you, and what do you expect we'll see this weekend?

JIM:

Well, it's going to be a great weekend. The folks that run the Grand Prix have been preparing the track. It's 1.7 miles, nine turns. We're going to have IndyCar. IndyCar is the anchor race. It's the big one. IndyCar Next will be there, and then IMSS is bringing the GTP and the GTD Pro. It's going to be wall-to-wall racing all weekend long. The team is ready to go. It's going to be tight racing down Jefferson Avenue going to the west. Indy cars in 6th gear will be getting to about 188. Then they've got to get higher on the brakes, do a hairpin turn, go back down in the water along the Detroit River. And then they also, what's unique about Detroit is the double pit lane. They pit right or they pit left, and they go out and get back on the course.

BRUCE:

Well, we're certainly looking forward to that. Oh, by the way, I'd be remiss unless I asked you what you thought of Kyle Larson's Indianapolis 500 rookie year. The fact that he stayed here, he was not able to compete in the Coca-Cola 600. That race ended early because of rain. He had gotten back there after the race had started. But just his performance and Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon both being on the starting grid of the Indianapolis 500.

JIM:

Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Andrews. Obviously, Kyle had his family here, and so it was really special. Kyle Larson is an incredible talent. There's not many like him. He could drop into a different kind of racing, and within hours, he gets the hang of it. He knows how to find speed and balance. He did that all month long, and he actually qualified, as you know, in the Fast Six. It's hard for a rookie to do that, and I'm so proud of him. Last guy that could really show that kind of ability to go from series to series, Tony Stewart, was the last one, I think, that did it. Obviously, Kurt Busch did it. It's hard to do. Kyle had a heck of a race. He made one mistake speeding down pit lane. It cost him a lot of positions, but he showed speed. And you know what? I hope he's back next year.

BRUCE:

We do, too. It was certainly great to have him here for the month of May. But Jim Campbell, vice president, performance, and Motorsports at General Motors. Congratulations on winning another Indianapolis 500. And we look forward to seeing you at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

JIM:

It's great to be talking to you here on the Yard of Bricks at the Speedway. We'll see you in Detroit. Thank you.

BRUCE:

We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

WILL:

This is Will Power of Team Penske, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. While the drivers are on the track in the risky business of the Indianapolis 500, many have loved ones and family in the pit area or the motorhome supporting them. For two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, his wife Ashley is always by his side. Let's get to know Ashley Newgarden as she celebrates her husband's second straight Indianapolis 500 win in this exclusive interview for Pit Pass Indy. Behind every great driver is a wonderful family and a wife, and Josef Newgarden's wife is Ashley Newgarden, who for the second year in a row gets to celebrate an Indianapolis 500 victory. Didn't have to wait as long for the second one as you did the first, but I'm sure it's just an incredible experience.

ASHLEY:

No, it's amazing. It feels surreal, to be honest. It's like when you come back after you win it one year and then you dream about the next year, you always dream about winning it in that fashion. So for it to actually happen, I really was convinced that it was a dream.

BRUCE:

It really seemed like after Team Penske had swept the front row, that out of the three drivers on the front row, Josef probably had the best chance to win just because of the way he's approached this track the last couple of years. It was just a gut feeling, but did you have that same feeling?

ASHLEY:

Yes. I just knew the very beginning of the month. He didn't want to touch his car because it was amazing and it was beautiful and it was it was perfect. Almost on rollout. And he knew he had such a great car and he honestly was pretty bummed about qualifying because he feels like He felt like his car was the strongest and that he should have been on pole, and he didn't let that bother, like, worry on him a little bit too much, but I think we all knew that he was going to be up there fighting for sure. If everything played out the way it does, you know, in racing, sometimes things don't go your way, but if everything was the way it was supposed to be, he was going to be up there fighting for sure.

BRUCE:

He has a close relationship with Tim Sendrick and also with the engineering staff at Team Penske, but he just seemed to show up here with an attitude of, I've got this, that I'm working with new guys, I'm working with Jonathan Duguid, he's good, I have the advantage of a deep bench at Team Penske. But in a lot of ways, it's almost like he showed his leadership quality by taking over in the month of May and being a leader of that operation.

ASHLEY:

Yeah, I think he had to. I think when I mean, three, four weeks ago, he felt like his world was ending. And, you know, they've taken their punishment and they had to move on. And I think everyone wanted to still live in that moment and remind him of it. But I think as a driver, you are the team leader and you have to just go around your morale and say, this is in the past and we have to work towards our goals now. And he knows how hard his team's worked for this 500 car over the last year. This isn't a thing they've been working on it for a couple months. They've been working since the last race as well. So you don't want that to go to waste because you're letting outside noise influence it.

BRUCE:

And you were with him for those moments. You were with him probably for the darkest moments. And just how dark did he get?

ASHLEY:

I'm just really sad. I mean, he's such an honest person and he's one of the most I don't know, he just has the best integrity that I've ever seen. And maybe I'm biased, but I know that that killed him, that people saw him in a different light, and he couldn't convince people of his truth. But he was always really focused on just moving forward. I mean, it was just really difficult.

BRUCE:

And when did it start to turn around? He told us at Barber that when they'd gotten the news, at first he thought, It was a joke. And then when the reality set in, it was like, oh, my God, when did it start to change?

ASHLEY:

I think when it first happened, you also weigh out and you say, OK, well, that penalty is probably not going to be that big of a deal, you know, but the complexity with Roger owning the series and just I understand IndyCar's decision that they really did need to throw the book at them. And it's fine, it happened, but honestly, I don't think that it got that much better until he started working on his qualifying car. I would say the GP was still really difficult because you go into the month of May, you have all of this negative momentum with, and you're worried about the fans too. You're worried, okay, when they scream my name, are they going to boo? Are they going to say yay? Like, are they going to welcome me? What's the reaction going to be? So I think it wasn't until he started working on the qualifying car that it really

BRUCE:

Well, that was a recap of Josef Stark times with yesterday. Probably the brightest light of his career to be able to win the Indianapolis 500 back to back first time since Elio Castroneves in 2001, 2002. Hey, there's a $440,000 rollover bonus from Borg Warner. Have you already got a few things picked out that you might want to buy extra?

ASHLEY:

I think we're going to invest. That's a smart thing to do.

BRUCE:

He'll get a good amount at the victory award celebration to invest tonight. It's not about the money. It's about the achievement and the fact that he's a two time Indy 500 winner. Did you ever think we would see that in his career?

ASHLEY:

I mean, I absolutely thought so, but it's just a matter of if it was really going to happen. I think it's everything he's ever dreamed of, for sure. But I know he's automatically just wants more. So he doesn't want to stop it, too. I can tell you that.

BRUCE:

It wasn't that he wasn't going to be a two-time winner, it's just the level of competition is so great as we saw the Pato award in the battle at the end. How nervous were you during that battle because Pato wasn't going to give an inch either.

ASHLEY:

I think I just tried to stay as calm as possible because I know how these things work. There's a lot of passes on the last five, six laps. And it's really about just timing. And I knew Josef had studied enough to know that the timing that was going to work. And Pato races him very fair. He's always raced him very fair. And Josef's always raced Pato very fair. So I didn't, truly, I didn't worry about them both wrecking together. It was just about the timing. And I think when, Pato passed on that last lap. I knew that Josef had enough time to get him on the back straight, so it felt pretty good. Yeah.

BRUCE:

And as far as being a race driver's wife, IndyCar races on so many different circuits, the versatility, road course, street course, short oval, high-speed oval. You can go to Barber, and they'll get out there, and the mistakes made may end up in a gravel trap. How much more nervous are you at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Because the level of risk and the level of intensity goes up dramatically here.

ASHLEY:

I think also they just made such great strides in the safety of the car that, I mean, you're really confident that if something happens, the likelihood of you getting really, really hurt has gone down every single year. So that definitely helps. But honestly, I don't think of that as much. I'm so competitive. I'm thinking more about him doing well. But God forbid anything happened to anyone in that situation. It is terrifying, for sure.

BRUCE:

And because of the four-hour rain delay, how impressed were you that all of those fans came back and were in their seats and stayed till the checkered flag?

ASHLEY:

No, it was amazing. And there was a ton of people that stayed around for the parade lap, too. It was amazing. I couldn't believe it. They probably had a I don't know, 13, 14 hour day with getting in here early to make sure. It's just crazy how many people and how dedicated they are. And that's what makes the 500 so special, though. It's just the fans and Indiana.

BRUCE:

And finally, how did you celebrate?

ASHLEY:

Well, Josef was in media until about 11. And then we went out with this team downtown for about an hour and a half. And then we got some sleep.

BRUCE:

Well, Ashley Newgarden, I'm sure you're running on adrenaline, especially today. But congratulations once again on Josef Newgarden winning the Indianapolis 500 for the second straight year.

ASHLEY:

Thank you.

BRUCE:

We'll be right back to Pit Pass Indy after this short break.

JOSEF:

Hey everyone, this is two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, and you're listening to Pit Pass Indy, presented by Penske Truck Rental.

BRUCE:

Welcome back to Pit Pass Indy. And now, let's hear from the winner of the 108th Indianapolis 500, Team Penske's Josef Newgarden, in this exclusive Pit Pass Indy interview. It's an honor and a privilege to be joined by two-time Indianapolis 500 winning driver Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, who won an absolutely thrilling and spectacular 108th Indianapolis 500 on May 26th. Josef, it took you 12 years to get your first, but it only took you 12 months to get your second. So just how special is that?

JOSEF:

And just incredible, you know, unexpected. I think it always is. If you win here, Bruce, it doesn't matter how how good you are. I think we had the cars to beat this month, but, you that doesn't guarantee a victory at the Indianapolis 500. So, you know, just surprised and over the moon that we were able to execute the way we did on race day yesterday. It was just a perfect, perfect day for the team. They really knocked it out of the park, just like they did last year and very gratifying. I can tell you that for everyone involved, this has been a pleasing experience.

BRUCE:

The way the race finished, in the 2024 Indianapolis 500, I think is really the way a lot of people wanted to see last year's race finish, with a fight all the way to the checkered flag. The first victory you had in 2023 got interrupted with a couple of red flags there toward the end. Some people thought wrecks in the back of the pack helped determine the way that race ended with a one-lap dash to the checkered flag. So does that make the fact that everything fell into place this year even more special because you and Pata went out there and slugged it out?

JOSEF:

It was definitely a slugfest. And more than just Pato, I thought Rossi was really going to be the guy that was going to be the deciding factor between a couple of us. But I would say there were both Very gratifying in the same way. Different races, but just as gratifying across the board with both of them. I think they were both hard fought and well-earned by our team. And the other thing I would say is there's other deserving winners of this race. I think Pato was a deserving winner yesterday and it just, it didn't fall their way. And I think that is racing. There's many people that could have won these races and same with Marcus last year. He would have been a deserving back-to-back winner if it fell his way. You just, you know, unfortunately, there's no guarantees in this sport. There's no guarantees I'm gonna show up and win, and when you do, I think you just gotta be thankful for the opportunity and that it did fall your way.

BRUCE:

Second straight year that the winning pass was made on the final lap, and both of those are your victories, so how special is that?

JOSEF:

Yeah, pretty cool. I mean, not planned. It's just the way it, you know, shaped up. And you don't really know how to... React to these things, you know, you're you're trying to make the best reaction and decision possible but it's It is impossible to know what the right thing to do is so, you know for me. Um I'm just trying to study everyone around me and understand where they're good, where they're bad, and what I need to do at the right moment. And I was reacting yesterday to Pato, and it fortunately was the right thing to do.

BRUCE:

Four passes for the lead in the final eight laps of the race. Another pretty impressive stat when you think about it, between the two of you out there battling for that. At one point, did you think that Pato had made his move at the right time, or were you sure that you'll be able to get him in turn three?

JOSEF:

I wasn't sure at all. You know, I didn't know if it was the right move at the right time or not. Actually, what he did to me is what I was probably thinking about doing to him. I was going to try and pass him on the front straightaway, because I thought he had a hard time getting a run through one-two. And he must have thought a similar deal with me. So when he passed me, I just tried to build my momentum as quickly as I could. through, back through turn one and specifically through two. And then I said, look, whatever type of run I have, I have to take it. And I had a pretty good run in the back straight and, you know, he went to the inside and blocked and I knew I had to go on the high side. And I said, I'm going to go for it. You know, it's just gotta be, it's now or never. And I think that's how you win these races. And, you know, he's a, he's a deserving winner too. He's a champion. He drove me with a lot of class. And I think that's why it worked out.

BRUCE:

Do drivers make moves in the Indianapolis 500 that they would not make in any other race?

JOSEF:

It's a good question. I don't know. I think I drive. I think I definitely drive some of these races. The way I drove yesterday is the way I drive in a lot of races. I do think you have to lay everything on the line at the Indy 500 if you want to win it. That doesn't mean it's going to work out, but I think the best thing you can do for your peace of mind is to say, I didn't hold anything back. Maybe I took a little too much risk, but I'm not going to leave here saying I didn't try everything I could.

BRUCE:

And because of that, you could finish second at a lot of races, and a lot of guys could be happy with the result. But at the Indianapolis 500, if you finish second, it's devastation. We saw that with Pato afterwards. He was very emotional, in tears, actually very distraught, because he'd come that close to winning the biggest race of his life. Is that what really exemplifies what Indy really means?

JOSEF:

Oh, definitely. I mean, I understand and I do feel for him. It's a heartbreaking race to lose and it tells the story for what Indy does mean for everybody. You know, you pour your heart and soul into this, each one of us, every team member, and for it to not work out is just demoralizing. You know, you feel like it was all for nothing in a lot of ways. Yeah, second's a great result, but at Indy, there's only one happy crew, there's only one happy driver, and, you know, unfortunately, that's the way it works in this sport and at this race, but it's also what makes it so special when you actually are able to win it.

BRUCE:

It is also the bookend of one of the most emotional months of your career. A month ago, You were devastated with the news that you were disqualified from the victory at St. Pete. You gave the very emotional explanation at Barber Motorsports Park, where you broke down a few times with emotion out of the deal. But you came to the Indianapolis 500 absolutely determined to move forward and to put that behind you. And you were able to achieve that result yesterday. And does that make this year's victory even more special?

JOSEF:

I want to say yes, but I will go back to my original statement. I think Indy, regardless of the circumstances, is a special victory every time. I did not expect to win it again. I let go of the fact that I may never win it last year. Then you break through and you do. Well, then if you win it once, you got to be comfortable with, well, we won it one time, we may never win it again. And so I felt that way yesterday. And to be able to get another one and to go through this whole experience one more time, I think they're just each special. It doesn't matter the circumstance. You know, regardless of this year and what's happened, winning Indy stands alone by itself, and it is a big deal.

BRUCE:

But did it make it more special when you and Roger Penske saw each other in victory lane? Because the man had to make some very hard decisions, leaving four key crew members at home for the month of May.

JOSEF:

Yeah, it's not ideal. He made difficult decisions, hard decisions. Decisions I'm sure he doesn't want to have to make. He's trying to do the right thing. I've never met somebody with more integrity than Roger Penske. I know the character of our team. I know the integrity of our team. Look, we're trying to do the right thing always. We really are. And it was a tougher month because of the circumstance. But I've never seen this team come closer together than I have this month. So as much as we missed a couple of our members dearly, we banded together like the group we are. And we executed at the highest level, the level that I know this team can execute at.

BRUCE:

Your long-time race strategist, Tim Sindrick, was one of the people who was suspended for the month of May, also your engineer, Luke Mason. But you immediately meshed perfectly with Jonathan Dugan, and also with your engineer, you can pronounce his name better, Raul Prados. And to have different voices in the ear, even though you have a great team that you work with every race in the season, did a little bit of a different voice give you a different outlook?

JOSEF:

Um, it was it was different, but at the same time It was, you know, equally as potent, I would say. Raul is a great engineer that I've known for a long time at Team Penske. I've worked with personally. Not in a full-time engineering capacity, but through performance-based work. And Jonathan Duguid, I know so well. He was, you know, with the team. He was with Elio Castroneves for a long time and then, you know, went through a couple different drivers in the stable as I was there with the team and was with Scott McLaughlin for his first year when he came over. He's another individual that I always dreamed of working with in a full-time capacity in IndyCar. So, you know, as bittersweet as it was, I would have preferred to have Tim and Luke by my side. They're my main guys that I lean on. I was equally excited about this new opportunity because I got to work with two individuals that I've always wanted to. And so I think we made the most of it. I really do. And that's evidenced by this victory.

BRUCE:

You got a chance to celebrate your 30th career victory for a second time. Of course, you had it the first time at St. Pete, the season opening race. Unfortunately, that was the race that got taken away because of disqualification. But to get it now, career victory number 30 in IndyCar, Roger Penske's 20th career Indy 500 win as a team owner. To get those two things has to really be special because they're both milestone achievements.

JOSEF:

It's great. You know, I mean, we're satisfied with the result yesterday, and we're certainly appreciative of what we've been able to achieve together. I know I am. I've enjoyed my time here dearly, and I care about what we achieved together, and I don't want this to be, you know, the end or the peak. I would like us to continue to find more, and I know that's how Roger operates, and it fits well with me, because that's how I like to approach life. So, I like to think we have more in the tank, and we have more to go.

BRUCE:

So I'm going to throw some names at you. Wilbur Shaw, Maury Rose, Bill Vukovich, Al Unser, Elio Castroneves, and now Josef Newgarden, the only drivers that have won back-to-back Indianapolis 500s in the 108 runnings of this race. Those are some pretty historic names. You're now part of history.

JOSEF:

Pretty crazy. It's a hard race to win. You know, winning it once is a big deal. Winning it back-to-back is a whole other level. So, very special, very appreciative, and excited for next year. I'm ready to come back. You know, when you win this race, it really changes your perspective. And I didn't think my perspective could be changed. I've been here for a long time, and I know how special it is, and I have a lot of appreciation, but it goes to a different level when you win it. So, I'm ready for the next month of May now.

BRUCE:

But in addition, Borg Warner is going to award you an extra $440,000 as their rollover bonus. It hadn't been collected since 2002 when Elio Castroneva scored the last back-to-back victory at Indy. Extra $440,000 is cool, but I'm sure the achievement probably means more to you.

JOSEF:

Definitely. I mean, you don't need the extra motivation at Indianapolis. I know I don't. I come here because I love the race, and I want to be a part of it and succeed. So I'm very appreciative for the extra gifts, let's put it. That's a good chunk of change. But the race and the glory of the race is what matters the most.

BRUCE:

The glory of the race is what matters the most, but if my math is correct, you'll probably be the first $4 million winner of the Indy 500. And when you think of that, how cool is that?

JOSEF:

That's pretty crazy. I don't know what the final tally is, but if it is, if it exceeds that, that's. That's impressive. It's I mean, look, this this race, I think deserves it. You know, whoever wins it, it's a big deal. And, you know, to see it accelerate into the future, I think that's, you know, a lot down to Roger Penske and and him trying to advance this specific event in this venue. And look, I've never seen it healthier. That's the coolest Indy 500 I've been a part of. Everybody stayed here. Now, I don't think one person left after a four hour rain delay. And it was a big storm. So it just speaks to you know, the place that this sport and this specific race is in.

BRUCE:

The race started four hours late. There was about 345,000 people here when the race began at a quarter to five in the afternoon. The seats were all packed. And what the fans saw was one of the most thrilling and spectacular. It was a slugfest out there. There were moves being made all over the track. Was there a sense of urgency because of how late the race started that it really changed the dynamic of the racing?

JOSEF:

Yeah, I think everybody was antsy. They were ready to get going and they, to your point, there was a sense of urgency in a lot of people, whether it was the, you know, whether it was the daylight disappearing or it was the track cooling or it was maybe more rain coming. Like, I think just everybody was ready to go forward and it brought a lot of chaos.

BRUCE:

Because of the chaos, we saw a lot of moves going into turn one on the restart. There were three, even four wide. Were there times where you were in a position where it's like, I don't know if this is going to work?

JOSEF:

A couple of times, you know, I was, I was part of those moves too, but there was a couple of times where I was being overtaken and I just needed to level off and back out of it. So yeah, you, you had to be measured yesterday. And I think, um, you know, not everybody got the good end of that, but for sure there was some tense moments.

BRUCE:

And also the fact that it was only the second time in Indy 500 history that the same team swept the front row, both times Team Penske. This year it was Scott McLaughlin on the pole, Will Power in the middle, you on the outside. It really allowed the team to dictate the pace of the race and to try some things that other teams could really do because they may be starting further back in the field.

JOSEF:

Yeah, definitely. I mean, there was also a strategy switch. You know, you saw people midway through the race, you know, they chose an alt strategy and that mixed things up. But I think just in general, having really good pace in the cars is what made the difference yesterday. You just can't supplement car speed. And so we had that. And when you have car speed, it makes everything easier. It makes your job easier to position the car, to pass people, to save the fuel that you need at what moments. It's just, it simply can't be beat. It's the best thing and the best ingredient that you could ask for.

BRUCE:

And of course you celebrated your second straight victory the way you did your first by going under the fence celebrating with the crowd. You've started your own Josef Newgarden tradition. But today there was a new tradition because your son Koda was to be able to be part of the next day photos. And I think the one photo that everybody remembers is where you were kneeled down there by the yard of bricks. Instead of kissing the bricks, he kissed his dad. How special is that?

JOSEF:

It's very special. He's such a, you know, he's a great kid and we're very lucky that he's happy and healthy and it was great to have him here. It was great to have him here last year and this year topped it even more somehow.

BRUCE:

Well, now it's off to Detroit, Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, another Penske race. So what's your outlook heading to the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix as the reigning champion of the Indianapolis 500 for the second year?

JOSEF:

I hope it's good. You know, I think we have a good car and We've been good on street courses this year, you know, st. Pete was great for us and Long Beach was following that up, you know splendidly So I think the road courses is more my question mark at the moment. How do we how do we elevate there? So Road America, I'm thinking about that, but I think Detroit we can have a we can have a great race We should bring a good car and I'm excited to see what we can do

BRUCE:

Well, Josef Newgarden, congratulations on an absolute thrilling 108th Indianapolis 500. Congratulations on your victory. Good luck in Detroit. And thank you for joining us on Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Realm.

JOSEF:

Thanks, Bruce.

BRUCE:

And that puts a checkered flag on this special Indianapolis 500 edition of Pit Pass Indy. We want to thank our guests, Indy 500 winning race strategist, Jonathan Duguid of Team Penske, General Motors Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, Jim Campbell, and Ashley Newgarden, wife of Team Penske, Josef Newgarden. And of course, we want to thank and congratulate our special guests, The winner, the 108th Indianapolis 500 on May 26th, Team Penske's Josef Newgarden for joining us on today's podcast. Along with loyal listeners like you, our guests help make Pit Pass Indy presented by Penske Truck Rental your path to victory lane in IndyCar. On the highways, the raceways, and every pit stop in between, Penske Truck Rental keeps you moving forward. Gain ground with Penske. Pit Pass Indies at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the month of May with the 108th Indianapolis 5-1. We'll wrap things up from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the next episode, so be sure to tune in, download, and subscribe to Pit Pass Indy from your favorite podcast platform. For more IndyCar coverage, follow me at 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.