Tag: Josef Newgarden

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"Dude, Who's in My Car"-- MAV TV American Real 500 Event Preview

That’s the question an injured Josef Newgarden asked himself from the sidelines of the Grand Prix of Baltimore while he watched racing veteran Bruno Junqueira drive the No. 67 car for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR).

After sitting out for a full race weekend, the 21-year-old rookie driver is ready to reclaim the wheel of the No. 67 car and punctuate his first IZOD IndyCar Series season with a solid result at Auto Club Speedway in Sunday’s MAV TV American Real 500.

Newgarden broke his left index finger in a frightening crash with Sebastien Bourdais on Aug. 26 in the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. The injury required surgery, and he had to hand over the reins of the No. 67 SFHR Dallara/Honda/Firestone car for the next race in Baltimore.

“It was really hard to watch Bruno drive my car in Baltimore,” Newgarden said. “I’ve never been injured inside a race car before and had to sit out while someone else drove my car. It was tough but I learned a lot and can’t wait to get back in.”

After the crash in Sonoma, Newgarden described his finger as “crushed.” Post-surgery, his left index finger has seven screws holding it together.

Despite the extra metal, he says that he and his finger will be ready for the MAV TV American Real 500.

“I think my finger will be fine,” Newgarden said. “It’s been getting better each day, and I think I should be fine in the car to hold on for the oval. That’s not saying ovals are easier than road courses, but it should be easier on my finger.”

It won’t be smooth sailing at Auto Club Speedway, however. Newgarden experienced the track’s bumpy surface in August at a test, and he will test again at the track this Wednesday.

“Auto Club Speedway is very, very bumpy, and the seams of the track are difficult to navigate when you’re changing lanes,” he said. “It’s a really difficult track, probably one of the most difficult ovals I’ve ever been to. It’s going to be a long 500 miles.”

He hopes testing at Auto Club Speedway will give him the extra preparation he needs to ready his car and his finger for the 500-mile race.

“I’m really glad we’re testing this week because we need the track time,” Newgarden said. “A lot of guys have had more testing time than SFHR has this season so, we need to get caught up. Hopefully it will help us have a better result during the race weekend.”

The MAV TV American Real 500-mile race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., will air live on NBC Sports Network, Saturday, Sept. 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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Notes:

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• Bionic Man: Josef Newgarden underwent surgery August 28th in Indianapolis to repair his left index finger after crashing with Sebastien Bourdais in the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. Newgarden’s left index finger now has a bone graft, a plate and seven screws. While he has been cleared to drive in the MAV TV American Real 500, his biggest challenge may be clearing airport security with a finger full of metal.

• SFHR’S Good Luck Charm Turns One: Zoey O’Gara, daughter of SFHR co-owner Sarah Fisher and husband Andy O’Gara, will turn one on Thursday, Sept. 13. Zoey will spend her first birthday traveling to Fontana, Calif. with her mom and dad for the MAV TV American Real 500 race weekend. At just two weeks old, Zoey attended her first-ever race last October at Kentucky Speedway where SFHR scored its first win with driver Ed Carpenter. Could Zoey’s milestone birthday be good luck for SFHR in the 2012 season finale?

 

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Junqueira to Substitute for Newgarden in Grand Prix of Baltimore

Veteran Bruno Junqueira will drive the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in this weekend’s Grand Prix of Baltimore as a substitute for the team’s full-time driver, Josef Newgarden, who was injured in last weekend’s IZOD IndyCar Series race in Sonoma, Calif.

Newgarden had surgery Tuesday to repair a broken left index finger suffered in a violent crash on lap 65 of the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. He and team officials are focused on the IZOD IndyCar Series 2012 season finale at Auto Club Speedway, September 15 for his return.

“I’m really disappointed to not be in the car this weekend but I know Bruno will do a great job for SFHR,” Newgarden said. “I’ll be in Baltimore helping Bruno and the team in any way I can and focusing on healing for Fontana.”

Noting Junqueira’s IndyCar experience, Fisher said the team is confident it found the right substitute for this weekend.

“It is lucky that we were able to call on Bruno for this weekend's race,” said Sarah Fisher, co-owner of Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. “He has had great results prior to climbing into the No. 67 car, and I hope we can give him the right platform to bring home a solid finish this weekend in Baltimore. I know Josef is disappointed in the circumstances, as we all are, but this team is being built around him and his seat will be ready for him when he’s ready. We look forward to a healthy and speedy recovery for Josef.”

SFHR co-owner Wink Hartman believes the No. 67 car will be in good hands in Newgarden’s absence from the cockpit.

“I am sure it will be difficult for Josef to stand by me in the pits during the Grand Prix of Baltimore, but I know he agrees that Bruno will take good care of the 67 car while he’s healing,” Hartman said. “SFHR will continue its success and Josef will be back in the seat soon.”

Junqueira, from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, is currently competing full-time in the American Le Man Series presented by Tequila Patrón Prototype Challenge (PC) class. He sat on the pole for the Sebring 12 Hours race and just recently won at Mosport Park in Canada. He and his RSR Racing team have been front-runners all season.

“I am very happy to be back in IndyCar with SFHR for the Baltimore race weekend,” Junqueira said. “Sarah’s team is very organized and has been fast all season. They have done a great job with Josef and I hope to give them a good race weekend in Baltimore while Josef is healing.”

Of Note:

One weekend, 2 races for Junqueira:

Junqueira will pull double duty at the Grand Prix of Baltimore by driving in the IZOD IndyCar Series as well as the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patrón. Junqueira will drive in the sports car race for Rocketsports Racing on Saturday afternoon and then for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series on Sunday afternoon.

Junqueira Stats:

35-year-old Bruno Junqueira has eight CART victories and finished second in the CART championship three times. Junqueira qualified for the Indianapolis 500 eight times and started from the pole position in 2002.

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Newgarden Injured in the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma

Josef Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) settled into a progressive march through the pack of the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sunday, but their work was cut short when an incident with Dragon Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais knocked Newgarden out of the race.

On lap 65, Bourdais went off course in front of Newgarden. Bourdais then quickly veered back onto the track in front of Newgarden. The two cars collided sending Newgarden nose-first into the Turn-8 tire wall.

 

Newgarden was assisted from the car by the IndyCar Holmatro Safety Team and taken to the track’s medical center. The rookie driver injured his left index finger and will be evaluated further when he returns home to Indianapolis.

“We had a decent run and were trying to salvage what we could from this weekend in Sonoma,” Newgarden said. “We got an unlucky break with Bourdais when he got in trouble in front of me.

“Unfortunately, Bourdais came right across the track and I had nowhere to go,” Newgarden added. “I kept my hands on the wheel because it happened so fast and that’s when my finger got hurt. It’s the hardest hit I’ve ever had.”

The No. 67 SFHR Angie’s List Dallara/Honda/Firestone car sustained significant damage in the incident.

“Pretty much every body panel, the tub and the engine will need to be repaired,” Mike O’Gara, team manager for SFHR, said. “The first six inches of the tub are basically crushed. Every piece of suspension was damaged, so the car is pretty much a write-off at the moment.”

Newgarden and SFHR were scored in the 23rd position after the incident.

Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske won the GoPro Indy Grand Prix in Sonoma, which was his first win of the 2012 season. Will Power, who led for 57 laps, finished in second.

Dario Franchitti, Rubens Barrichello and Graham Rahal completed the top-five. The race was slowed by two caution periods for a total of 11 laps.

The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to action next weekend for the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT on Sunday, September 2.

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SFHR Looking for Speed in Sonoma

IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Josef Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) have struggled to find speed at the raceway in Sonoma, but Newgarden is prepared to dig deep and move up on race day in Sunday’s GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

Newgarden qualified the No. 67 SFHR Angie’s List Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in the 23rd position with a speed of 107.666 mph on Saturday.

“We’re struggling here,” Newgarden said. “We started off on bad footing last week for the test in Sonoma, and we just haven’t been able to take the right steps to get closer to where we need to be. It’s just one of those confusing instances, but we’re trying to figure it out.”

The SFHR team takes an open approach to finding speed and welcomes ideas from all of its engineers and team members for ways to look for an edge on-track. Team members will put their heads together this evening and work to find a solution for race day.

“Not knowing where we’re missing the speed is the frustrating part,” Newgarden said. “Normally a lack of speed comes down to something that you can find and pinpoint, but we haven’t been able to do that. We’ve tried a lot of different things that have made sense, and it’s just not working for us. We’ve just got to try and take what we can get this weekend.”

Will Power of Team Penske claimed the pole position for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma with a lap of 111.116 mph, which is his fourth pole of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske qualified second with a lap of 110.881 mph and Sebastien Bourdais of Dragon Racing qualified third with a lap of 110.431 mph.

Helio Castroneves of Team Penske and Scott Dixon of Ganassi Racing round out the top-five of the starting grid for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.

The GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, an 85-lap race around the 12-turn, 2.52-mile Sonoma road course, will air live on NBC Sports Network, Sunday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET.

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SFHR Brings a Mean, Green Driving Machine to Sonoma for Newgarden

The raceway in Sonoma, Calif., is a new animal to tame for IZOD IndyCar Series rookie Josef Newgarden, but he’ll be equipped with a freshly painted mean, green driving machine as he tackles the twists and turns at Sonoma.

Newgarden’s car will become the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing/Angie’s List/Dallara/Honda/Firestone car for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, and the car has been painted green to reflect the brand identity of customer ratings giant Angie’s List.

“It’s always good to have a sponsor on the sidepods, and I’m hoping the new green color will bring us some luck,” Newgarden said. “It kind of looks like a mean, green, driving machine to me.”

The bright green is highly appropriate for the raceway in Sonoma in particular, as the track is known for its efforts to be a green, eco-friendly facility.

The raceway’s environmental initiatives are collectively known as a Sustainable Performance. One program, referred to as “Mowing Green,” may catch Newgarden’s eye as he navigates the track.

As part of the “Mowing Green” program, 3,000 sheep live at the raceway to help maintain the grasses and fire lanes around the facility. Newgarden doesn’t predict he’ll have to share his racing line with any of the raceway’s wooly residents.

“I’m pretty cautious about what I do to impact the environment, and I think it’s cool that the raceway in Sonoma has done so much on that front,” Newgarden said. “When I tested with my car at the raceway last week, I noticed that there was a lot of dirt around the track. Maybe my green car will bring a little brightness to the racing surface.”

Newgarden and the SFHR crew will be on track in Sonoma on Friday, August 24 for IZOD IndyCar Series practice. Qualifications for the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma are Saturday, August 25 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The green flag will drop on the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at 4:42 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 26.

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Josef Newgarden: #AskJosef Answered

SFHR launched a twitter campaign with its rookie driver Josef Newgarden called #AskJosef after the 2012 Mid-Ohio race. SFHR and Josef Newgarden fans were asked to tweet questions for the 21-year-old rookie driver with the #AskJosef hashtag.

Josef received questions ranging from his on-track performance to his love for all things Batman. Scroll through Josef's answers below:

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Catch Josef Newgarden and the SFHR team in action at Sonoma Raceway on Friday, August 17 for an open test. The public is welcome to attend from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.racesonoma.com.

The IZOD IndyCar Series will race in Sonoma at the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on August 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET. For real-time updates from Josef Newgarden and SFHR in Sonoma follow @JosefNewgarden and @SFHRIndy on Twitter.

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SFHR Finishes 12th in Fuel-Saving Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) rookie driver Josef Newgarden had a clean drive in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, but his hands were tied when the event turned into a fuel strategy race that left him the odd man out.

Newgarden brought the No. 67 SFHR Dallara/Honda/Firestone car home to 12th in the caution-free race.

Starting from the ninth position, Newgarden got a jump on his competitors and climbed to sixth on the first lap. On lap two he passed Ryan Hunter-Reay for fifth.

Newgarden and the team then settled in and systematically ticked off solid lap times and quick pit stops.

“I thought we had a very strong car today and turned out some really strong laps,” Newgarden said.

However, for the second IZOD IndyCar Series race in a row, there were no caution periods. SFHR strategized for three pit stops while several other teams made only two.

“We got unlucky with our strategy,” Newgarden said. “We ended up doing a lot of work for very little reward in the finish today. The strategy was really the only thing that hindered us.”

In July, team co-owner Sarah Fisher set out a goal for Newgarden and her team to complete every lap remaining in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season. Newgarden came one step closer to accomplishing Fisher’s goal in Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

“I’m glad we finished the race today because it’s my job to make sure we finish each race,” Newgarden said. “Unfortunately we just couldn’t quite seal the deal for a top-10 finish at the end because we had to pit for more fuel.”

Scott Dixon of Ganassi Racing won the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, which marked his fourth victory at the track.

Will Power of Team Penske finished second and moved up to first in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series’ driver point standings.

Simon Pagenaud, Sebastien Bourdais and James Hinchcliffe rounded out the top-five at Mid-Ohio.

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio was the second consecutive caution-free race for the IZOD IndyCar Series, which has not happened since 1987.

The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to action at the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on August 26th.

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True-Rookie Newgarden Composed at Mid-Ohio

Josef Newgarden is a true rookie at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but in qualifying on Saturday for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio he drove like a calm professional. With a clear purpose, he landed the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) Dallara/Honda/Firestone car in the 10th starting position.

Newgarden was sixth fastest in his group of IZOD IndyCar Series’ knockout-style qualifying, which advanced him to the second round of qualifying.

In round two Newgarden faced off against the 12 fastest cars in the field and ended up 10th with a speed of 122.843 mph.

“It was an okay second session for us,” Newgarden said. “Unfortunately I didn’t really get a great lap in during the second round. I think we did a good job of getting as close as we could to the Firestone Fast Six, but we just needed a little more.”

Newgarden will be the only true rookie starting in Sunday’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Mid-Ohio is considered to be SFHR co-owner Sarah Fisher’s home track.

“It's cool to race here because it's sort of Sarah's home track,” Newgarden said. “It's a little added pressure but I like the challenge.”

Newgarden believes the tightly packed speeds in qualifications will make for a challenging race.

“I think we’re in the hunt for sure but it’s just very tight out there,” he said. “We’ll just get to work on a set-up for the race and see what we can do.”

Weather could also play a role in action during the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio as rain is in the forecast.

“I’ve never raced here before but I’ve heard it’s very difficult in the rain,” Newgarden said. “If it ends up raining that will be a big challenge for me.”

Will Power of Team Penske will start from the pole in Sunday’s race. Power’s speed of 123.825 mph narrowly beat the fastest lap of Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti at 123.360 mph.

Simon Pagenaud, Alex Tagliani and Scott Dixon round out the top-five on the starting grid for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Dixon was the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series winner at Mid-Ohio.

The green flag will wave on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio broadcast starts at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

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Newgarden and SFHR to Sport US Olympic Pride at Mid-Ohio

Rookie driver Josef Newgarden and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) are watching the Olympic Games in London just like the rest of the world, but while the games continue throughout the weekend the team has business to take care of in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

With a little ingenuity, the team has found a simple way to keep the US Olympians and their efforts in London top of mind during IZOD IndyCar action this weekend.

For the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, the No. 67 SFHR Dallara/Honda/Firestone car’s livery will feature “Go USA!” on its side pods.

“I’ve been watching a lot of the Olympics every night,” Newgarden said. “It’s been fun to see how our country’s doing especially since we’ve been knocking it out of the ballpark.”

Newgarden sees similarities between the training athletes go through to compete at the Olympic level and what he does to be at his best in his race car.

“They put their entire lives into their chosen sport,” he said. “Race car drivers are extremely dedicated to the physical training necessary to drive at their peek performance level in the sport and I think that’s exactly what the Olympians do.”

Newgarden’s favorite Olympic sport to watch is swimming, and the 2012 US swim team has not disappointed him.

“I really admire the commitment that each and every one of the swimmers have,” Newgarden said. “It’s been especially cool to see what Michael Phelps has achieved over his career. And now there’s other people like Ryan Lochte coming up and I’ve been watching to see how they do at these Games. I think training for swimming is similar to racing in the total dedication you have to give to the sport in order to compete at that level.”

With US Olympic pride on his car’s sidepods, Newgarden heads to the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in hopes of capturing a solid result for SFHR.

IZOD IndyCar Series practice at Mid-Ohio begins on Friday, August 3 at 2 p.m. ET. Action continues with qualifications on Saturday, August 4 at 11 a.m. The green flag drops on the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, August 5 at 1 p.m. The race will be broadcast live on ABC at 12:30 p.m. ET.

 

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Quotes:

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“JOSEF NEWGARDEN (Driver - Nashville, Tenn.)

After testing last week you tweeted that you loved driving at Mid-Ohio. What did you enjoy about it so much?

“I think it’s my new favorite road course because it’s a very fast track. It has a lot of high speed and high commitment corners. It’s just a great place to wheel a car.”

Mid-Ohio is a very popular track for race fans to attend. Why do you think it’s so fan-friendly?

“Mid-Ohio is one of those old school tracks where people like to go camping and be there all weekend hanging out with their friends. It’s cool to be able to do that at a couple of races during the year, and I think it really makes Mid-Ohio a special track.”

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Of Note:

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Newgarden Incognito: If you’re not sure who SFHR’s rookie driver Josef Newgarden is, you might not be the only one. Newgarden had fun interviewing fans undercover at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Watch the video>>

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Caution-Free Edmonton Indy Leaves SFHR 17th

At the end of the Honda Indy Toronto, Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR) team co-owner Sarah Fisher said that her team needed to focus on one thing for the remainder of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season: finishing every lap of every race.

In Sunday’s Edmonton Indy SFHR driver Josef Newgarden came one step closer to accomplishing the goal set out by his team owner. He completed all 75 laps of the race and finished 17th.

Newgarden started in 13th position and struggled with low-speed understeer in the first stint of the race. The SFHR crew worked diligently to improve his car throughout the day, but the caution-free race made it difficult for Newgarden to make up tack position.

“No one really made much progress on the track,” Newgarden said. “You kind of had to get lucky cycling through the pits to pass people.”

The No. 67 team was further hindered when Newgarden was issued a pit speed violation on lap 52.

Once back out on track however, Newgarden put the hammer down and turned the quickest lap of the race on lap 68 at 103.491 mph.

“After I served the drive-through penalty, I just focused as hard as I could on laying down the best possible laps to make up my lost ground,” he said.

On the final lap of the race, Newgarden chased down and passed Tony Kanaan for 19th position. An incident in the final corner on the last lap between Charlie Kimball and Simon Pagenaud bumped Newgarden up to his finishing spot of 17th.

“I think we really lost the battle for today’s race in qualifying,” Newgarden said. “We just didn’t have the right combination, which is all part of the learning curve. Some weekends we’re going to get it right and some weekends we’re going to get it wrong. I’m learning a lot with the way you need to set cars up though.”

Helio Castroneves won the Edmonton Indy to claim his second victory of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Season. Castroneves led 22 laps and managed to keep Takuma Sato at bay in second position.

Will Power, Graham Rahal and Alex Tagliani completed the top-five.

Ryan Hunter-Reay remains the points leader after the Edmonton Indy with 362. Helio Castroneves gained ground on Hunter-Reay in the championship chase with his Edmonton Indy victory and now trails by only 23 points.

The next round of IZOD IndyCar Series action is the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, August 5.