Josef Newgarden, the Team Penske driver, expressed his disappointment following his recent qualifying attempt at the Mid-Ohio race weekend. Despite feeling confident that his car was performing better, Newgarden was unable to convert this advantage into a strong qualifying position, posting results that did not meet his expectations.

Sharing his frustrations with fans through social media, Newgarden posted images from the session along with a message emphasizing that his car’s performance was much stronger than the outcome suggested. This sentiment reflects the ongoing challenges he has faced during the 2024 IndyCar season as he aims to rebound from setbacks like this Mid-Ohio letdown.

Summary of Newgarden’s Recent Season and Race Results

The 2025 season has seen mixed results for Newgarden. At the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 2, he qualified 10th and impressively finished third, showing strong race pace. However, at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on June 1, his qualifying position dropped significantly to 24th, though he managed to recover to ninth place in the race itself. These fluctuations highlight the inconsistency Newgarden is battling to overcome.

Explanation on the Crash Involving Louis Foster at Bommarito Automotive Group 500

Beyond the Mid-Ohio disappointment, Newgarden recently reflected on a serious crash with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster during the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. This incident involved Foster losing control and stopping on the track, which Newgarden then collided with, resulting in his car becoming airborne before coming to a stop.

During a pre-race interview at Road America, motorsports analyst Bob Pockrass asked Newgarden about the incident and his reaction afterward. Newgarden said,

“Feel even better Bob(0.25 onwards)” —Josef Newgarden

When asked about his communication with Foster after the crash, Newgarden explained the situation in detail, emphasizing the unpredictable timing of the incident. He said,

“I didn’t, but you know it’s just bad timing. This is the wrong place wrong time so it happens…Yeah, I didn’t see him. I didn’t see him come across the track. You know, I saw Louis up against the wall, as I was exiting 4 and didn’t think you know in the quick like you know this is happening in like a couple seconds, right? Wasn’t really focused on him. As I went through 3 and then kinda as we’re getting out of 4 I was trying to make a move on Palou. I was actually going to try and go underneath him.” —Josef Newgarden

“And so then right when I was making that move off of 4, I could see that Louis was sort of there and but it was still green and then I didn’t see Louis until in until Palou went right, and as soon as he went right then I saw him coming across the track and I thought, ‘no, this is it, there wasn’t much else to do. If I go right I was gonna go into Palou. I don’t have enough time because I had a big jump of speed on him. And then he had the advantage of seeing him before, I did so yeah, it’s just bad timing, really bad timing,” he added.

Current Championship Standing and Future Outlook

Josef Newgarden is presently positioned 17th in the drivers‘ championship standings, having accumulated 137 points during the season. His recent performances, including the Mid-Ohio qualifying struggle and the collision at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, reflect the tense and challenging nature of his current campaign.

As the season progresses, Newgarden’s focus will be on improving qualifying outcomes and avoiding incidents on track to climb higher in the points standings. Given his acknowledged frustrations and the potential of his car, upcoming races will be critical for him and Team Penske to regain momentum and deliver more consistent results.