Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...
Kyle Larson won the Chili Bowl for the third time after bouncing off the barrier and another car on two separate occasions. Elsewhere, a billionaire won on homesoil. Some moving boxes made it to Italy. Supercross had a stout weekend in San Diego An IndyCar team has already lost a key engineer less than two months prior to the season opener. There was some testing in Sebring, but more importantly, there was some testing at Daytona ahead of the 24 Hours of Daytona. A winner last year will not be there this year, but he has been on my mind for quite some time, more specifically, his perception.
Why has Josef Newgarden Become Hated?
Hate is a strong word. Maybe it isn't hated, but over the course of 2024 Josef Newgarden seemingly lost some fanfare.
The shift started around this time a year ago.
Newgarden was driving as the fourth driver in one of the Porsche Penske Motorsport entries in the 24 Hours of Daytona, a long-awaited debut for Newgarden in IMSA's top class less than a year after his first Indianapolis 500 victory. The Tennessean had a strong chance for an overall victory in one of the most famous endurance races in the world.
It worked out for Newgarden. The #7 Porsche he shared with Dane Cameron, Felipe Nasr and Matt Campbell won by a little two seconds over the #31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac. This made Newgarden the 17th driver with an Indianapolis 500 victory and a 24 Hours of Daytona overall victory in a career, a rather limited club. Yet in the aftermath of that result, Newgarden was not celebrated but dismissed.
Newgarden spent the least amount of time in the #7 Porsche. Of the 39 drivers to compete in the GTP class last year, Newgarden's fastest lap ranked 37th. It was seen as Porsche team won in spite of Newgarden, as if the team would have been just as good if not better off without him. He was viewed not as a contributor to the victory but a liability the team overcame who unworthily shared the glory.
And so started the spiral that was 2024 for Newgarden. Even after a great success, adoration was lost. At the end of January 2024, we had no clue what kind of year Newgarden was in for.
A month after a dominating victory at St. Petersburg, his 30th in IndyCar competition, Team Penske was found of manipulating software on the push-to-pass system allowing it to be active on the initial start and restarts when it should not have been. Newgarden had used it when it should not have been available and he was disqualified from the race. In the days after the announcement, Newgarden made a passionate plea of innocence at Barber Motorsports Park, but he became the face of guilt more so than the other two Penske drivers, even as key Team Penske members were suspended for multiple races, which included the Indianapolis 500.
Despite all the turmoil within the team, Newgarden still won his second consecutive Indianapolis 500, the first driver to successfully defend an Indianapolis 500 victory in 22 years and only the sixth driver to win the famed race in consecutive years. It was definitely the highlight of what was a wishy-washy season. Newgarden was not as clinical as we had seen in previous years, making more mistakes and costing himself good results. With an eighth-place championship finish, it was Newgarden's worst championship finish in ten years. There was more vocal glee in the dip in form than we have heard before.
Some of the change in perception was not all because of what happened on the racetrack. Newgarden famously, or perhaps infamously, made some changes into his social media involvement ahead of the 2024 season, unfollowing everyone on Twitter and deciding to not continue his YouTube series "Bus Bros," which he did with teammate Scott McLaughlin. The more reclusive Newgarden drew pushback from those who enjoyed the previous openness.
However, any fanbase in the world is easily swayed in a breeze. In a little more than a week, people seem to love Josef Newgarden again thanks to Fox's first commercial promoting the 2025 season. A driver who people were quickly to punch down on is now being celebrated, jawline and all. All it took was stepping back into the spotlight as the face of a national advertisement.
It is minor, and time will tell how people actually feel. As much as we say everyone loves a winner in the United States, the American people can also turn on a winner very quickly. Newgarden didn't lose followers after a year where he couldn't finish better than 15th no matter what he raced. People turned on him in what was another successful season. He won the 24 Hours of Daytona and a second consecutive Indianapolis 500. Most drivers who would have accomplished that would have been applauded as one fo the top drivers of the year.
In the 21st century, it is easier to dismiss a driver's accomplishments. Driving for Team Penske in a series Roger Penske owns and winning the series' biggest race after the team was found of violating the rules earlier that season does not bode well for one's image even if you are unaware of the rules being broken.
That played a part in the shift of perception of Josef Newgarden. The conflict of interest makes it seem he is already one of three drivers that are played as favorites and when he was the winner with illegal software, it makes him look more guilty. Scott McLaughlin finished third in that race and did not faced nearly as much backlash from the situation, but what people do mention about McLaughlin is how had he kept third from that St. Petersburg season opener, he would have won the 2024 championship on tiebreaker because the 35 points he lost combined with the four points Álex Palou gained from the two disqualifications equals the 39-point deficit between Palou and McLaughlin in the final championship standings.
McLaughlin is seen as a victim while Newgarden is seen as perpetrator.
As the world becomes more connected in the digital age with social media, any step away from it is a rejection of a norm, especially when one is active and invested. Newgarden's decision to discontinue the "Bus Bros" series was a harsh shock to those viewers. It took something away from the audience that they loved and it was done so without any warning. Even if Newgarden did it in the wake of becoming a father and wanting to focus on his family and his career, a great number of people felt abandoned and owed something. It becomes easier to hate someone when you feel rejected.
There is also a crown that is thrust upon Newgarden as one of IndyCar's best drivers and as an American.
In a series that has been struggling for attention for cultural relevance for the last 30-plus years, Newgarden is the ideal poster boy. Good looks and successful combined with the right passport. IndyCar has not seen many like him recently. For an American-based series, having an American who is a multi-time champion and a multi-time Indianapolis 500 winner is an easy sell. Everyone loves a winner, and he is a winner that should be easy to love.
But what if the poster boy doesn't want to be the poster boy?
We have a commercial that debuted a little over a week ago that says otherwise, but for as open as Josef Newgarden has been, he is admittedly shy and introverted. He does not want more attention than necessary, especially away from the racetrack. He will take it when he wins races and championships and for what he does as his craft, but in a world where people are constantly seeking attention, Newgarden does not want it beyond the sphere of his career. He is not stepping out more than he must. He is fine being unknown.
To the few regular followers of IndyCar, it is upsetting when a spokesman remains silent, especially when they believe he can draw in more followers and help the health of the series. Newgarden is an engaging man. He is well-spoken and thoughtful. He is a great face for the series, but he also doesn't put himself out there because of his own personality. It is hard to want driver to be authentic and then be upset when his authentic self is not flamboyant but rather mellow.
As Newgarden wins races and add his name to the history book, his reserved demeanor becomes perceived as a hurdle to the series. The thought becomes "IndyCar could be bigger if you were more open." It is why Patricio O'Ward is celebrated and has become most popular driver. O'Ward is charismatic, and he is active in the digital world while also being one of the best in the series. He might not be sharing everything, but there is less mystery there.
Again, hate is a strong word. Newgarden might not be hated but he is not as loved as you would think for an American with two Indianapolis 500 victories, two championships and tied for tenth all-time in victories while only being 34 years old and easily having another decade of his career ahead of him.
There was a time Scott Dixon was not all that loved even though he was winning because he was quiet and reserved. He might have been quick, but at no point did Dixon want to be the poster boy for IndyCar. Eventually, people changed their tune on Dixon, perhaps because he wasn't going anywhere and was winning everything along the way. It is special to see someone move up the record book and reach territory we previously thought would never be visited again.
Seeing were Newgarden is at in his career, he has a good chance to also hit the highest heights in IndyCar. He has a chance to do things no one has ever seen before, things people have only dreamt of. Come May, Newgarden will have a chance to do the unprecedented. We will see how he is perceived should he make history.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Kyle Larson, but did you know...
Dakar Rally
Bikes: Daniel Sanders won by eight minutes and 50 seconds over Tosha Schareina. Adiren van Beveren was 14 minutes and 46 seconds off in third.
Cars: Yazeed Al-Rajhi won by three minutes and 57 seconds over Henk Lategan with Mattias Ekström third, 20 minutes and 21 seconds back
Challenger: Nicolàs Cavigliasso was an hour and 11 minutes clear of Gonçalo Gurreiro and 90 minutes clear of Pau Navarro.
SSV: American Brock Heger won by two hours and six minutes over Francisco López with Alexandre Pinto in third.
Trucks: Martin Macík was over two hours and 21 minutes ahead of Mitchel van den Brink and Aleš Loprais.
Eli Tomac won the Supercross race from San Diego, his 11th consecutive Supercross season with a victory. Julien Beaumer won in the 250cc class.
Coming Up This Weekend
The 63rd 24 Hours of Daytona
Supercross has its second round in Anaheim.
The World Rally Championship opens its season in Monaco.
