Josef Newgarden Wins 107th Indianapolis 500

May 28, 2023, 2:19 PM | Updated: 3:05 pm

Josef-Newgarden-Indianapolis-500-2023...

Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, celebrates by pouring milk on his head after winning the 107th Running of Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

BY KSL SPORTS AND JENNA FRYER, AP

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Josef Newgarden won the 107th edition of the Indianapolis 500 for his first victory at the IndyCar Series event.

The 2023 Indy 500 took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 28.

Newgarden edged Marcus Ericsson, Santino Ferrucci, Álex Palou, Alexander Rossi, and Scott Dixon to his first Indy 500 title.

THE FINAL LAP OF THE 107TH #INDY500.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN WINS! pic.twitter.com/jgsyatqtFS

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 28, 2023

Newgarden started the race in the 17th position.

By winning the race, Newgarden drank the traditional celebratory glass of milk at the annual event. The Nashville, Tennessee native chose whole milk.

It was Newgarden’s 12th Indianapolis 500. He’s won 27 IndyCar races during his career.

Josef Newgarden went INTO THE STANDS after winning the Indy 500! 🔥 #INDY500 pic.twitter.com/ki059v2Nrx

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 28, 2023

Newgarden gives Roger Penske his 19th win in Indy 500

Newgarden finally captured his long-awaited Indianapolis 500 on Sunday and gave team owner Roger Penske his 19th and first since buying Indianapolis Motor Speedway, making an audacious pass of defending race winner Marcus Ericsson during a frantic 2.5-mile sprint to the finish.

After the race was red-flagged for the third time in the closing laps, Newgarden was moved from fourth to second by race control. The two-time IndyCar champion, who had been 0 for 11 in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” took advantage of it by slingshotting around Ericsson on the restart and then holding him off through the last two turns for the win.

Newgarden brought his Chevrolet-powered car to a stop on the front stretch, jumped out and found a hole in the fence, diving into part of a crowd estimated at more than 300,000 to celebrate. Then he climbed the fence to mimic longtime Team Penske driver and four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

JOSEF NEWGARDEN WINS THE #Indy500! pic.twitter.com/ku3alOy66d

— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) May 28, 2023

Ericsson finished second in a Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. He was followed by Santino Ferrucci, who gave 88-year-old A.J. Foyt his team’s best finish in the race he won four times since Kenny Bräck won it in 1999.

Pole sitter Alex Palou, the race favorite, was fourth for Ganassi and Alexander Rossi rounded out the top five for Arrow McLaren.

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