Josef Newgarden won his second Indy 500 this season for Team Penske after passing Pato O’Ward on the last lap.
The American driver performed admirably over the month of May and had a very competitive car that was stable during the race in IndyCar.
He stayed at the front of the field but lost the lead at the start of the last lap as O’Ward led into Turn 1 for the last time.
Newgarden kept cool with half a lap to go and repassed the Mexican driver heading into Turn 3, taking his second Indy 500 victory.
Despite his memorable win and second in a row for Team Penske at The Brickyard, Newgarden told the official IndyCar website that his season didn’t live up to its full potential.
Josef Newgarden feels his season was ‘disastrous’ from a championship perspective
Newgarden endured a difficult season, which kicked off at the season opener in St. Petersburg, where he was disqualified after breaching push-to-pass regulations.
After Florida’s disappointment, the American driver struggled to build momentum, finishing fourth at Long Beach after a collision with Colton Herta.
Newgarden also finished outside the top 15 at Barber Motorsports Park and the IMS Road Course before winning his second Indy 500.
The middle of the season was very inconsistent, and a bad day in Detroit saw him slump to 26th after qualifying in third place.
Toronto also saw some bad luck for the No. 2 car. A slow pit stop saw a podium slip away as he saw the chequered flag in 11th place.
He explained that the 2024 season was a struggle despite taking victory at the Indy 500 as he wasn’t contending for the championship.
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Newgarden said: “I think you have to divide the season. When it comes to the Indy 500, it’s a super successful year.
“Personally, for the No. 2 car from a championship perspective, it’s been a really disastrous year. I don’t know how to put it other than disastrous.
“I guess what I would say is sometimes it’s not your year, or sometimes it’s not your day; those both have been true multiple times this season, and that’s the way it goes.”
Josef Newgarden has the opportunity to make history in 2025 with a third consecutive Indy 500 win
Newgarden has been spectacular on ovals throughout his IndyCar career, winning two Indy 500s and taking a win on that type of circuit every season since 2016.
He has been particularly competitive at Iowa Speedway, taking six wins. As a short oval, it poses a different challenge to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The American driver could make history next season by becoming the first driver to win three Indy 500s in a row.
Newgarden may compete with the reigning champion, Alex Palou, who isn’t proud of his oval record in IndyCar.