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IndyCar: 5 drivers who can win both the GMR Grand Prix and the Indy 500

By Brennan Dolan

Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, IndyCar - Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, IndyCar - Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, IndyCar
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, IndyCar (Photo Credit: The Indianapolis Star) /

Drivers who can win both Indy races: No. 2 – Josef Newgarden

Josef Newgarden is on the shortlist to win any race on the IndyCar calendar. Currently sitting in sixth place in the championship standings, he will likely begin to string together some solid finishes over the next few months to get solidly in the hunt, as he has done the last few years.

He has won once at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, but road course races are by no means his bread and butter. Of the three different types of tracks, he has the smallest career win total on road courses.

At this point, the only thing the 26-time race winner and two-time series champion needs is an Indy 500 win to cement his place in IndyCar history.

If he can stay away from the pit lane troubles that have hurt him in the past, 2023 could be the year for the driver who enters the month of May having won five of the last seven oval races — and with at least one win at every oval except Indy.

We know the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet should give him a great shot to win both races, despite the team’s struggles at the speedway over the last few years. Topping the charts during testing at the track a few weeks ago is certainly a good sign.