Newgarden, meanwhile, represents another part of the equation—a “pretty unique character,” a multi-time winner, “who’s been an eager participant in the stuff that we’ve been doing at Fox to try to make any car grow and become more accessible to more fans,” Gottlieb noted.
However, in becoming one of the faces of the circuit and seeking his third crown at Indianapolis, he now walks a line between hero and heel.
“He is like the perfect leading man for a race car circuit: He’s young; he’s handsome; he’s ambitious; and he’s an absolute killer on the track. Joseph was a bit of a gift for us,” Gottlieb said. “If this is a guy you can’t be interested in, then you’ve got no pulse at all, and he’s kind of polarizing in the best way: A lot of fans absolutely love and adore him and his dominance at the 500 is something that they revel in, and then there are a lot of fans who think he’s too perfect and can’t wait to see him get his comeuppance.”
Welcome to the fastest racing on earth. March 2 on @FOXTV.@IndyCar | @josefnewgarden | #INDYCARonFOX pic.twitter.com/yWFIOlDVa3
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) January 12, 2025
The next lap
At Fox’s upfront, Newgarden shared the stage with an IndyCar luminary who more often prefers a place in the shadows: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing owner David Letterman. The late-night retiree tested his comedic muscles at the expense of the 500’s multifaceted Borg-Warner Trophy, praised Newgarden while wishing Rahal would edge him in this weekend’s event, and went into Indy’s 109th running by testing everyone’s memory of Ray Harroun.
