Josef Newgarden drives pace car at Bristol Night Race despite NASCAR ambitions
Motorsport.com • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 19, 2026, 8:35 PM
Last updated Sep 19, 2026
Josef Newgarden, a two-time IndyCar Series champion, is serving as the pace car driver for the Bristol Night Race in Tennessee on September 19, 2026. Despite his success in IndyCar and aspirations to compete in NASCAR, he acknowledges the challenges in pursuing those goals. Newgarden reflects on his satisfaction with his current career but maintains his interest in NASCAR events. The race serves as a key moment for him, highlighting both his current role and future ambitions in motorsports.
- •Josef Newgarden drives the pace car at Bristol Night Race.
- •He is a two-time IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner.
- •Newgarden expresses a desire to race in NASCAR in the future.
- •The event takes place in his home state of Tennessee.
- 8:35 PMMotorsport.com — Josef Newgarden will always want to race Bristol but knows the chances are slim
"Josef Newgarden is very content with his life as a perennial IndyCar Series contender but there are very specific NASCAR things he wants to do someday no matter how historically unrealistic it might be. The now 35-year-old two-time IndyCar Series champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner is driving the pace car on Saturday in the Bristol Night Race in his native Tennessee. His NASCAR ...Keep reading
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
IndyCar•Nov 6, 2026, 12:04 AMOne Of The Great Traditions Of The Indianapolis 500 Will Continue
IndyCar•Nov 5, 2026, 6:44 PMColton Herta backs Mexico IndyCar race following Pato O’Ward promoter callout
IndyCar•Nov 4, 2026, 8:35 PMMumford & Sons Founder Now Part Of Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Legacy
IndyCar•Nov 3, 2026, 4:01 PMJacob Abel ‘reevaluating everything’ after solid IMSA endurance campaign, targets 2027 Indy 500 return
IndyCar•Nov 3, 2026, 3:11 PMA.J. Foyt Shake-Up Leaves Two IndyCar Seats Empty For 2027
IndyCar•Nov 3, 2026, 1:00 PMECR becomes first IndyCar team to buy driver-in-the-loop simulator