Josef Newgarden Is Learning To ‘Run’ to Become Auto Racing’s Fittest Driver

Josef Newgarden’s weakness has been exposed.

Unfortunately for the rest of the IndyCar Series circuit, you won’t find any fuel-injected flaws when the two-time Indy 500 winner is behind the wheel. Since joining the IndyCar circuit in 2012, Newgarden’s impeccable attention to training detail has been the catalyst for not only his success at the Brickyard but also his two IndyCar titles and 31 career wins.

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However, the Nashville native has found that he’s currently most vulnerable on his feet. This hold true when he’s tasked with running against the clock and group of competitors. Meet Josef Newgarden—Hyrox athlete. These days, when the ignition is off in the Penske No. 2 Chevrolet, Newgarden is focused on mastering the red-hot global fitness event and its challengingly pesky 1km running sequences. While his speed on the racetrack earned him the largest check in Indy 500 history a year ago, Newgarden is slowly taking baby steps toward moving up the Hyrox ranks.

“My aerobic volume included almost no running,” Newgarden admits. “It’s been all C2 machines—rowing, ski ergs, and a lot of biking. So, I had very little running mileage.”

Newgarden is naturally more comfortable conquering 17-turn courses, like this weekend’s Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix, than completing the eight short-distance runs required in a Hyrox event. Nevertheless, despite just two months of preparation and limited running experience, Newgarden finished 36th in the overall men’s division (1:09.27) at Hyrox Houston on March 16.

When he puts it all together, Newgarden may very well be in the conversation as the fittest athlete in sports. IndyCar, with an aggressive marketing campaign, is trying to capitalize on his fitness, hoping to make his shredded frame and square jawline the face of its sport.

“I was pretty good at the functional stations; that was easier to figure out,” says Newgarden. “But learning to have an elite running ability without getting gassed was essentially my weak point.”

So far in 2025, Newgarden has two Hyrox competitions under his belt. But he says he will hold off on a third event until after the IndyCar season to focus on winning his third IndyCar title.

Hyrox is the latest training challenge for the well-known workout warrior, who has previously participated in the NFL Combine and was part of the Indiana Pacers’ “Power Pack” halftime trampoline slam dunk crew, as well as making a 2016 appearance on television’s “American Ninja Warrior.”

What makes his new fitness obsession so appealing, Newgarden says, is that training for Hyrox aligns perfectly with the workouts he incorporates into his racing. When he’s not running, Newgarden’s program requires very little alteration throughout the season.

“The crossover is really beneficial,” he said. “During the off-season, when I’m not driving, I needed something competitive, and I found Hyrox to be a new outlet to stay engaged with my fitness.”