Josef Newgarden heads into the IndyCar season finale at Laguna Seca with a 41-point lead over closest title rival Alexander Rossi, and whilst he's sure he can deliver, he admitted he's "not overly confident".
Newgarden requires a fourth-place finish to secure his second championship victory regardless of where his rivals finish, with Simon Pagenaud and Scott Dixon also in the mix for the crown.
The Tennessee-born racer says he just needs to believe in himself and his team and go out and secure the best possible result.
"With no self-belief in your own ability or talent fear can creep in," the Team Penske driver said. "You’ve got to believe in what you can do. I believe in myself, I know I’m capable. I know our team is capable. We’ve got all of the right people around us. We’ve got the best of the best.
"Everyone’s going to say that, but if you think that and feel that as a driver, then why not feel confident that we can go out and do the job.
“We’re confident, but we’re not overly confident. Sure, something can go wrong and maybe it won’t happen, but I feel confident we can do what we’ve done all year and come out as champions."
Newgarden admitted that finishing fourth is a tall order on such an important weekend
"As I’ve told people, it’s not easy to finish fourth in an IndyCar race. Fourth is a good day, a really good day."
