It was a campaign of feast or famine for Team Penske’s Tennessee native. There were four wins – all on ovals and second-most overall to champion Alex Palou – but there were also five results of 15th or worse, including three of 21st or lower.
But what made the year a success was Newgarden’s memorable Indianapolis 500 victory, secured with a thrilling pass on Marcus Ericsson in Turn 3 of the controversial final-lap restart – the 19th event win for team owner Roger Penske, and his first since acquiring the track in November 2019.
Analysis: How Newgarden rose to be a thorn to Ericsson’s double Indy 500 bid
Even with the inconsistency, Newgarden claimed an additional podium and three more top fives to finish fifth in the overall standings.
Photo by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images
Josef Newgarden’s 2023 IndyCar campaign was often feast or famine