Remember when Xfinity driver Josh Williams was penalized for parking his car at the start/finish line? Looks like he isn’t the only driver to abandon his vehicle this season. Although the emotions of the two while leaving their car on the track differed tremendously, IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden also repeated the same during Sunday’s race.

After a frustrating streak of defeats for the past 11 years, Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden won the Indianapolis 500 last weekend. However, as soon as the race ended Newgarden abandoned his vehicle on the racetrack!

Why did Josef Newgarden park his car on the front stretch like Josh Williams?

To celebrate! The two-time IndyCar champion had waited long enough to register a win at the Indianapolis 500. After the third caution in the final 16 laps, Newgarden climbed up the track from the fourth position to second. Furthermore, the Team Penske driver slingshotted across Marcus Ericsson and held him off for the last two laps – hence, clinching the checkered flag in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Excited about his win, the 32-year-old IndyCar driver drove his Chevrolet to the Frontstretch and jumped out of it. Moreover, he located a hole in the fence and dove into the crowd to celebrate with the audience. Mimicking Helio Castroneves, Newgarden’s win was celebrated by the 300,000 fans present at the speedway.

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Newgarden reveals why he decided to dive into the stands

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After parking his car on the tracks, Josef Newgarden headed straight to the stands. Explaining why he felt like it was the best way to celebrate his win, he said,

“I’m just so thankful to be here. I started out as a fan in the crowd, and this place is amazing, regardless of where you’re sitting. Everyone kept asking why I hadn’t won this race, and they look at you like you’re a failure if you haven’t won it. I knew I was capable. I knew I could.”

Recalling how the last 11 attempts at the Indianapolis 500 have been tough for him and his team, Newgarden added that he can never “subscribe to the fact that if you don’t win the 500, your career is a failure.”

Well, celebration or disappointment, whatever the emotion might be, it looks like abandoning cars has become a norm in the 2023 season. What do you think about parking the car in the front stretch? Let us know in the comments below.

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