Josef Newgarden is having a strong 2024 season, and with the veteran driver coming off of back-to-back victories at the Indy 500. Newgarden is preparing to expand on this success with a new contract extension that not only locks him into Team Penske but will also see him continue to represent the team for the next few years.
“Josef Newgarden is a true winner, and we are excited that he will continue as a part of Team Penske for years to come,” said team owner Roger Penske. “What he did Sunday in the Indianapolis 500 shows how Josef consistently delivers for our team and our partners on the track, and he is just as impressive off the track as well. We are proud to have Josef continue with our organization as his skill and passion embody what it means to be a Team Penske driver.”
Contract extension built on success
This latest move by Penske comes amid a flurry of success for Newgarden who has been with the team since 2017. Newgarden not only has 27 career wins but also has 16 NTT P1 Award Pole positions and he also won two NICS championships in 2017 and 2019.
Newgarden is also a chameleon and when he’s not behind the wheel of an Indy Car he’s also known for competing in the 24 Hour Rolex series with his win at Indy and the Rolex 24 at Daytona making him the first Team Penske driver in history to win both events in the same year.
“Driving for Roger Penske and this iconic team is a dream that I never thought I would realize,” stated Newgarden. “I’m thankful for the opportunities that I’ve been given during my time at Team Penske. I have a great amount of respect for the individuals that comprise our group, including the partners who support us. Our time together has been filled with hard work, teamwork and dedication; and I’m so excited that we will continue on for many more years to come. I’m sure that we can achieve much more in the future. I still believe we haven’t reached our full potential together just yet.”
Penske deviates from long-standing practice
Team Penske also continued its recent trend of making announcements during the race season seemingly pitching a long-standing practice of making these types of announcements at the end of the season. We saw this prior in April when Penske confirmed that it also granted Will Power a similar contract extension during the actual racing season itself.
What’s next for Newgarden?
Newgarden is currently sitting seventh in the 2024 NICS standings with one win and two top-five finishes behind the wheel of the No.2 Team Penske Chevrolet. It will be interesting to see if Newgarden can continue this recent run of success with a victory at tomorrow’s Detroit Grand Prix double-header.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.