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“Sign Me Up!” – Joey Logano’s IndyCar Counterpart Makes a Strong Case for an Opportunity in NASCAR Following COTA’s Diverse Grid

Published 04/02/2023, 8:31 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

NASCAR is celebrating its 75th anniversary this season. The thought of driving a stock car on a racetrack fascinates not only spectators but drivers from other motorsports as well. Formula 1 drivers like Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button recently grabbed the opportunity to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series race held at the Circuit of the Americas.

Driver satisfaction is a hypothetical concept in NASCAR races. Despite that, they love to try it. With drivers from different sports taking a dig at NASCAR, it is the Team Penske driver from the IndyCar Series who showed his keen interest in competing at a Cup Series race.

IndyCar driver excited to take part in the Cup Series race

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Keeping the recent trend at NASCAR races in mind, two-time IndyCar Series champion Josef Nicolai Newgarden was asked by a reporter, “Hypothetically, if Penske was like to make a fourth Cup car on the road courses, would you be interested in trying?”

Josef exclaimed, “Oh definitely! I’d love to try. A Cup car in road course is, you know, it’s funny. You go back and forth with our teammates.” 

“So, maybe we get to do a ride swap. But if there was an opportunity to drive a road course, I’d be all for it or a short oval, you know. Bristol (Speedway) under the lights? Sign me up!” He added.

Like others, Josef wants to feel what it is like to drive in NASCAR. Being a Penske Team driver, the road to taking part in a Cup Series race could be a smooth one.

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Newgarden is waiting for the moment when his team will bring in a fourth Cup car. Drivers from different motorsports have encountered a lot of problems while driving the stock car. Keeping this in mind, on what basis will Team Penske pick Josef Newgarden to drive their Cup Series car?

Will Newgarden fit into the star-studded, diverse lineup?

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Having a whopping 25 career victories, Newgarden is currently the winningest active American driver in the IndyCar championship. He also holds two championship titles in the NTT IndyCar Series, which is equal to his Cup Series counterpart, Joey Logano.

USA Today via Reuters

An IndyCar can run up to the speed of 236 mph, which is quite faster than the stock cars. Newgarden drives such a fast car and being in touch with the sport could prove to be an asset for Team Penske. Having numerous victories in the IndyCar series underlines the reasons that should convince the team to sign him up for the Cup Series race.

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Josef has disclosed his interest. Now, it’s upon Team Penske to decide. Given his achievements, the ball seems to be on the IndyCar driver’s side of the court.

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Written by:

Aneesh Gupta

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Aneesh Gupta is a NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports. It was his fascination with the automobile and engineering world that made him fall in love with motorsports in the first place. Having grown up seeing movies like Days of Thunder and The Last American Hero only cemented his passion for the American Stock car racing series.
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Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal