It seems that nearly every time there is a promotion, advertisement, or hype video released for the NTT IndyCar Series lately, Josef Newgarden will make an appearance in some way.
Whether that comes in the form of making appearances for a fan event, generating content for a few different online video series, or being one of the first drivers to feature on the CW Network’s new 100 Days to Indy television series, the 32-year-old veteran is often front and center.
Part of the reason comes from him being a two-time series champion driving for the illustrious Team Penske, but it also stems from his popularity and natural ability to represent himself and the series well in front of a camera.
He even leads his own pre-race team meetings on pit road and pumps up his crew just before climbing in the car.
It would be a safe assumption then that the charismatic Newgarden would actively enjoy the spotlight, especially considering how comfortable he seems to be in that role.
But when asked what he thinks about being one of the biggest faces of the series, he gave a somewhat surprising answer.
“I don’t naturally like it,” Newgarden told MotorsportWeek.com. “If it was my choice, I wouldn’t sign up for anything. But I care deeply about the sport, and I really want people to have a reason to follow and to find interest.
“If there’s way I can be involved to give extra interest, then I’m all for it. But it’s obviously going to take much more than me. We have so many great personalities within IndyCar, it’s really a great family when you look at it.
“Not just the drivers, but the engineers, the mechanics. There’s endless great stories. I feel comfort in that, they’re not going to be short of finding reasons for people to be invested.”
Newgarden specifically mentioned the crew from the 100 Days to Indy series, which has been following him and other drivers around each race weekend to showcase some of the off-track drama leading up to this year’s Indy 500.
The show’s premiere garnered 385,000 viewers total in the opening week, and opened with a segment showcasing the two-time champion working out and spending time with his family in his Nashville home.
Though he has already been a part of numerous IndyCar marketing campaigns, Newgarden doesn’t feel the addition of the new camera crew this season has been distracting to his actual job behind the wheel.
“[The 100 Days to Indy crew] has not been distracting up to this point. There’s already a lot of camera crews around on the weekend, so adding one more was really not a big difference.
“And they’ve been really polite I would say. They’ve been a fly on the wall. Not a bother. They’re just following.”
The second episode of the six-part television series airs Thursday night in the US on the CW network, and will air on Vice Television on delay.
