Roger Penske’s 2x Indy 500 Champion Confessing His ‘World’s Quickest Half-Mile’ Dream Wins Over NASCAR Followers

For followers, it’s a crossover that they’ve solely dreamt about. In spite of everything, how do you not count on pleasure to rise when a driver as proficient as Josef Newgarden expresses his affinity in direction of NASCAR? Having already gained two Indy 500s in a row, the 33-year-old is on the hunt for his third IndyCar Championship. But, regardless of the various achievements in his illustrious profession, Newgarden has but to make a dream he harbors into actuality. He doesn’t simply wish to drive a inventory automobile sometime, Newgarden desires to race on the ‘World’s Quickest Half-Mile’ at Bristol Motor Speedway and do ‘The Double’.

As issues stand, Newgarden’s open-wheel duties, mixed with schedule challenges and sponsorship commitments, imply that his dream gained’t bear fruition anytime quickly. Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped followers from hoping that the crossover will occur sometime.

Josef Newgarden hopes to maintain his NASCAR goals alive

Whereas getting behind the wheel of a Cup Sequence automobile is fairly far, Josef Newgarden was current at Nashville Superspeedway to meet up with some NASCAR motion over the weekend. The IndyCar can be ending its season at Nashville itself, nonetheless, the sequence was on a break final weekend. This allowed the 33-year-old to not simply make it out to observe his first Cup Sequence race of the season on his hometown monitor, but in addition cheer on for his former center faculty classmate Josh Berry, who began on the entrance row.

Through the race weekend, Newgarden was requested by Motorsport.com’s Jim Utter about his need to race in NASCAR. The driving force gave a transparent response, saying, “Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I’d like to drive a Cup automobile in some unspecified time in the future. You recognize, I used to go to Bristol races as effectively once I was a child. Bristol’s at all times been, like, very excessive on my listing. This monitor and Bristol have been in all probability the 2 that I went to probably the most see Cup races.”

Hailing from Hendersonville, Tennesse, Newgarden considers Bristol Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway as tracks that he most needs to race on. With that, he additionally expressed his curiosity in doing ‘The Double’. The Crew Penske driver mentioned, “To do the ‘Double’ (Coke 600 and Indy 500 on the identical day) can be an amazing alternative. I don’t know if that can ever take form. It’s actually robust these days to get that each one lined up. There’s lots of people that must get entangled and are available collectively on that. We’d like to see extra individuals do it.”

Earlier this 12 months, Kyle Larson tried to run the Indy-500 and Coca-Cola 600 double, solely to be thwarted by climate circumstances at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Whereas loads of NASCAR drivers have tried to do ‘The Double’ through the years, the one pure IndyCar driver to have achieved the feat was Tony Stewart. Josef Newgarden desires to observe in his footsteps and obtain the identical feat.

Upon listening to the driving force’s ideas, comparable have been shared by varied followers on X. A consumer hopefully put out; “It might be an amazing concept to see him, in addition to different high IndyCar drivers run the large NASCAR races that don’t battle with the IndyCar schedule, such because the Daytona 500, and presumably some races after the IndyCar season ends“. One other consumer highlighted how the crossover wouldn’t solely elevate drivers’ goals but in addition assist each sequence in reaching a wider viewers; “Oh for certain! It will probably assist every group. I’m not even an enormous Kyle Larson fan, however him trying the Double, led to me attending my first Indy Sequence occasion afterwards“.

Then there was a fan who might barely maintain their pleasure in regards to the prospect, as they mentioned, “Give him a Cup automobile asap“. Nonetheless, Newgarden nonetheless has some IndyCar wins to examine off his listing earlier than with the ability to reside that asap. 

Crew Penske drivers must make IndyCar their precedence

Over time, NASCAR followers have seen their favourite drivers try ‘The Double’, however IndyCar followers haven’t had the identical privilege. Why? To place it merely, the Indy 500 is the largest race on the IndyCar schedule, and though the Coca-Cola 600 is taken into account to be considered one of NASCAR’s crown jewels, it merely doesn’t have the identical attraction as, say, the Daytona 500. This therefore places drivers vying for ventures outdoors of IndyCar in a troublesome spot. As Newgarden himself emphasised how he doesn’t get approval for “extracurricular actions”.

Josef Newgarden’s former teammate Helio Castroneves has lengthy desired to take part within the Daytona 500, however couldn’t accomplish that due to the higher-ups at Crew Penske. And speaking with regard to his Double Desires, Newgarden optimistically defined that possibly if he wins a couple of extra Indy 500 then the higher-ups at Crew Penske may simply give permission. “I’m form of like strategizing that if we win sufficient Indy 500s, then possibly they’ll simply must say ‘sure.’ Like I feel that’s the technique,” Newgarden mentioned. “We obtained two now, like what number of do you want for an automated ‘sure’ on that?”

Whereas IndyCar will at all times stay on the high of Josef Newgarden’s precedence, he hopes to sometime make the grueling 1,100 miles run throughout two iconic races in two separate states earlier than the curtains are closed on his storied profession. Do you assume Newgarden would be the first IndyCar driver to drag the double in reverse? Tell us within the feedback.