Injured Newgarden toughing it out on Detroit’s streets

Josef Newgarden is doing his best to deliver for Team Penske at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, but the foot injury he suffered during Sunday’s hard crash at the Indianapolis 500 is limiting his ability to attack the rough downtown street course.

Using crutches and a walking boot when he’s not in the No. 2 Chevy, Newgarden pushed the car as hard as he could – all while being bounced around inside the cockpit traversing over the pits and seams that add a high degree of difficulty to each 1.7-mile lap – and was able to qualify 21st in the field of 25 drivers.

“It’s great to just be out here with the team,” said Newgarden, who won the opening Detroit race in the 2019 doubleheader. “They’ve done a great job for me. They’ve always got my back. They’ve helped me get in this thing this weekend. I feel appreciative to represent our partners. Obviously, I wish I could give them a bit more this weekend. We’re out here fighting and we’re going to fight through it together.”

Newgarden arrived at Detroit in a tie for eighth in the drivers’ championship with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who starts fifth for Sunday’s 100-lap race.