Josef Newgarden has driven plenty of tracks in his IndyCar career and has faced just about every challenge that they can throw up.
The back-to-back Indy 500 winner will embark on his 14th season of racing in North America’s biggest single-seater category in 2025.
He had a bit of an off-season this year, which is weird to say for someone who claimed two race victories for Team Penske.
However, teammates Scott McLaughlin and Will Power were in the championship fight right until the end while he languished near the bottom of the top 10.
Josef Newgarden questions ‘very entertaining’ Arlington circuit
IndyCar recently announced that a new Texas-based race in Arlington will take place from 2026, surrounding the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers team stadiums.
The event will take place early in the season in March, the same month where things usually kick off with the Grand Prix of St Petersburg.
Speaking to Autosport, the American revealed his fears for those leading out front on this particular layout.
READ MORE: Jamie Chadwick shares where her ‘focus’ is for 2025 after admitting F1 dream now looks unlikely
“How are you going to stay out front if you’re leading this thing? I think you’re going to be exposed around a track like this.
“So, it could be very entertaining to watch. It could be a draft fest on that long straightaway. That’s what you’re going to be dealing with and we’ll figure it out as we do.”
IndyCar calendar undergoes a bit of a change
It was announced a few weeks ago that the Milwaukee Mile would no longer be a double-header, and instead, a race at the Thermal Club would take its place.
The new Grand Prix of Arlington layout will feature the longest straight of the season, measured at 0.9 miles.
That’s nearly one-third of the entire layout of the circuit, which looks as if it poses plenty of overtaking opportunities.
READ MORE: Everything to know on new RLL IndyCar driver Louis Foster
It’s why Newgarden was worried about the prospect of drafting, but most oval races do just fine with that sort of pattern.
It will be interesting to see how things develop in Arlington, as they build something similar to Miami’s circuit – which features on the Formula 1 calendar.