New Citadel Motorsports Park opened in 2004 and the Newgarden’s raced there in June of that yr. They began in rental carts earlier than they purchased a kart that Dismore had off the ground. It was an American-made kart, and so they paid $7,000. They didn’t need to haul it up and down the freeway, as a result of it was left with Dismore.
“We did one race weekend and acquired our butts handed to us his first time,” Joey recalled. “There have been 13 children within the group, and he completed tenth or eleventh.
“I’m like, ‘Man, I don’t know if I acquired it in me to race yet one more week,’ however we got here again in August. After that weekend, we got here again residence and put his kart and trailer away.”
That wasn’t the tip of this journey, nonetheless.
They tinkered on the kart over the winter, nevertheless it wasn’t till the next March when the Newgarden’s resumed their racing dream.
In 2005 and 2006, father and son made 23 journeys from Nashville to New Citadel every of these years. These included native regional races, plus 5 nationwide occasions.
“That was one of the best schooling in racing ever,” Joey stated. “I informed him it didn’t matter if he had a elaborate kart as a result of he was studying rather a lot right here. He will need to have run 150 go-kart races between these two years.
“And we confirmed up on the market.”
Newgarden competed in opposition to the 12-year-old son of former Formulation One and Indy 500 driver Derek Daly — a child named Conor Daly, who’s competing in his twelfth Indy 500 on Sunday. INDYCAR workforce proprietor Eric Bachelart’s son additionally competed in karting and so did 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever’s.
The Newgardens weren’t intimidated. Josef put his head down, discovered what he may, and made it occur.
He received two junior championships in 2005 and completed second and third in opposition to Daly and Bachelart.
On the finish of the yr, an enormous world championship race got here to New Citadel in October.
“Josef wound up successful that one and whipping these man’s asses that weekend,” Joey stated proudly. “That was large motivation to come back again the second yr.
“And when he got here again in 2006, he’s 15 and he smoked everyone. Within the third yr, as an alternative of 23 journeys up there, we made 10 and Josef received the senior championship.”
Younger Newgarden had outgrown karting and competed in 24 races in Skip Barber.
“He was a rookie and went again to getting his butt kicked,” dad stated. “The second yr in Skip Barber, Josef smoked everyone and wound up getting the chance to race in Europe.”
He moved to Europe at 17 and lived on his personal, competing in Formulation Ford and the British Formulation Ford Sequence. He tried to compete in GP3, earlier than he got here again to the USA to compete in what’s now the INDY NXT SERIES.
Then, the fortunate break into INDYCAR with Sarah Fisher Racing in 2012, ending twenty third within the championship. By 2015, he received two races for CFH Racing and completed seventh within the INDYCAR Championship.
Yet another win with Ed Carpenter Racing in 2016, and Newgarden was prepared for the massive time — Crew Penske.
He received 4 races and the 2017 INDYCAR Championship in his first season at Crew Penske. He received one other INDYCAR title in 2019 with Crew Penske. He received 4 races every season in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2023 and a career-high 5 races in 2022.
In 2023, he received the Indianapolis 500 for the primary time in his profession. He received it once more final yr.
Newgarden enters Sunday’s Indy 500 with 31 victories and has develop into the present face of the Indianapolis 500.
It began on these lengthy journeys from Nashville to New Citadel, Indiana along with his father dashing down the freeway to show a five-hour drive into 3-hours, 50-minutes.
“It is loads of previous reminiscences, that is for certain,” Joey Newgarden stated.
For Joey and Josef Newgarden, they had been reminiscences that lasted a lifetime.
“It was essential,” Josef informed FOX Sports activities. “I’ve had the nice fortune of being supported by my mother and father. My Dad was very supportive and so was my mother.
“I treasure the occasions attending to experience up right here with my dad and drive go-karts. It’s all I wished to do as a child.
“I acquired to bond with my Dad going to the observe. I bonded with my Mother; she got here loads of occasions. I’m a fortunate man. I had actually, actually, actually good mother and father.”
“To me, it was a dream. To be right here on the Indianapolis 500 may be very surreal, nonetheless.”
Bruce Martin is a veteran motorsports author and contributor to FOXSports.com. Comply with him on X at @BruceMartin_500.
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