IndyCar star Josef Newgarden confirms interest in racing in NASCAR Cup Series
With NASCAR in his hometown of Nashville this weekend, IndyCar star Josef Newgarden showed up to the track to speak to media. Once again, the topic of Newgarden getting into a Cup car was brought up.
During Kyle Larson’s attempt at The Double, Josef Newgarden was asked about NASCAR. At the time, he said he wanted to give it a go. Penske has plenty of resources to make it happen if they so wish.
Today when asked in Nashville, Newgarden confirmed his interests. He wants to compete at Nashville or perhaps Bristol since he’s a Tennessee kid. The two-time Indy 500 winner should be more than capable of handling himself in a Cup car.
“I’d love to drive a Cup car,” Newgarden said, via Chris Knight of Catchfence.
Josef Newgarden is one of the most talented drivers in North America, if not the world. What he has been able to accomplish as an IndyCar driver is no easy feat. Newgarden has the full package. Not only does he win races and championships, but he’s got the look and attitude of a superstar athlete.
30 wins, 17 poles, two championships and two Indy 500s – there isn’t much else you have to say after listing that off. He’s done it all in 206 races, too. But would Newgarden be able to adapt quickly to a NASCAR Cup Series racecar?
Josef Newgarden could succeed in NASCAR
It is hard to have a great run during a one-off race. Especially in a completely new car, series, and environment. Josef Newgarden is talented enough to do it, though. Maybe not go out and win in his debut, like Shane van Gisbergen, but he could hold his own against the Cup Series much in the same way Kyle Larson did at the Indy 500.
Of course, that SVG win was under very unique circumstances. Rainy weather, first-ever street race, etc – that allowed him to make history and pull off one of the greatest wins of the modern era.
Let’s say you put Newgarden on the track at Bristol, Nashville, or even Charlotte. Oval racing is not easy for those who don’t do it all the time. IndyCar drivers who are full-time complain about the difficulties. Newgarden is different, he’s the Oval King in IndyCar.
When it comes to ovals like Texas, Iowa, and Gateway, Josef Newgarden is more than capable of hanging with NASCAR talent. He understands the lines you have to take, the technique you have to use, all of it. Even if the IndyCar and NASCAR platforms differ, his understanding of oval tracks would, in my opinion, give him a great shot at a top-10 result.