Newgarden’s Dream of Racing Bristol Persists Despite Unlikely NASCAR Prospects

Josef Newgarden is content with his status as a perennial IndyCar Series contender, but he harbors specific NASCAR aspirations that remain historically unrealistic.

The 35-year-old two-time IndyCar champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner is currently driving the pace car at Saturday’s Bristol Night Race in his home state of Tennessee. His NASCAR teammate, Austin Cindric, notes that navigating the high-banked half-mile as a pace car driver will only fuel Newgarden’s desire to go faster.

Newgarden admits he has felt this desire since attending races as a teenager, even having driven an experiential vehicle around the track early in his career.

“If I had the opportunity to drive a Cup car, it would definitely be at Bristol,” Newgarden said prior to The Night Race. “Probably anything at that half-mile to mile distance; I love short track racing.”

“That is what I would prefer. I think Richmond would be amazing to drive, and I still think we need to go to Richmond with IndyCar as well. But if I drive a Cup Series car, Bristol would be at the top of my list.”

It would be a monumental task, as his peers in the garage have warned him it is the worst venue to make a Cup debut. Nevertheless, this is his ultimate goal within NASCAR.

“I believe it requires a unique set of skills to develop,” Newgarden said. “Therefore, it is a difficult track to conquer, because you see the races here and it is so frantic.”

Newgarden is not the first Team Penske driver to express a desire for a one-off NASCAR appearance. When Will Power won the Indianapolis 500, he believed it would give him leverage to convince Roger Penske to allow it.

Helio Castroneves requested it for years, to no avail. It only happened after he left to join Mike Shank’s team. Sam Hornish made the transition, but only after finding success in the IRL and winning the Indianapolis 500.

Realistically, Newgarden does not expect it to happen under Penske’s leadership.

“I have a job and a responsibility to uphold,” Newgarden said. “I mean, IndyCar racing is great, and I am in a great position. I love my side of the sport. I would like to do more, but the landscape is different than it was 30 to 40 years ago.”

Newgarden argues that disciplines are far more specialized today, and diverting his focus—or Penske’s focus—away from the IndyCar Series ultimately does not justify making it happen.

“I get paid a good amount of money to make sure I execute on race day in an IndyCar and to lead my team in the right direction, keeping everything in line,” Newgarden said. “And so that is challenging enough on its own, and taking away from that program is difficult. I understand the challenge of saying ‘yes’ when someone suggests, ‘Hey, I want to go have fun and try something different.’”

“However, on the flip side, I think it would also be beneficial for the sport.”

Enter: Kyle Larson.

Ultimately, Newgarden is unwilling to disrupt the status quo because he recognizes the inherent opportunities that come with driving for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series. It remains one of the most coveted seats in motorsports.

He has dedicated his entire life to being an IndyCar Series driver and claims he has never considered leaving the series to pursue something like NASCAR or Formula 1.

“I am so focused on our program,” Newgarden said. “I mean, genuinely I am very fortunate to be in the seat that I am. I am having a great time. I love working with my crew. I just love it. I love showing up and getting the opportunity to go to work every weekend with the No. 2 car that I am driving, and really our whole team at Team Penske on the IndyCar side.”

“I love it. I do not see myself doing anything else; I am a race car driver. Would I love to run a Cup race? Absolutely. That will never change. Maybe at some point in the future, if things change or I wind down, an opportunity might present itself. I would love to do that, but I do not see when that would present itself for quite a while.”

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