2x Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden posts hilarious Instagram vs. reality clip from 2025 promo shoot

Two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden gave his fans a glimpse of what a day of shooting promos looks like for him. The Team Penske driver shared a hilarious 'Instagram v/s Reality' reel on X capturing the contrast in energy between two takes.

In the 'Instagram' half of the clip, Newgarden has his game face on as the camera closes in, while the 'Reality' half sees him yawning before striking a folded-hands pose.

The short clips were from Newgarden's day shooting for Team Penske's sponsor, Shell. The Shell-Penske relationship dates back to the 1980s and their recent involvement has been ongoing since 2011.

Josef Newgarden shared another video from the set to communicate with his fans for the first time this year. In it, he said:

"Hey everybody, just checking in. Haven't posted a video since it's 2025. I hope everybody's doing good, off to a great start. Doing some filming (pans phone camera towards the set). I need to get ready. Hopefully, everyone's gonna have a great year, feel motivated. So I hope you're all doing well. Can't wait to get back to the track."

In 2024, the No. 2 Chevy driver won his second consecutive Indy 500 with a final-lap pass. He overtook Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward in Turn 3 to seal a $440,000 bonus for winning consecutively at the Brickyard, taking his payout to a record $4.288 million.

Josef Newgarden shares Team Penske's comeback prep after 'disastrous' 2024 season

Josef Newgarden at the Rolex 24 at Daytona - Source: Getty

Though Josef Newgarden won the Indy 500 spectacularly in 2024, the rest of the season didn't live up to those standards. He finished eighth in the standings, his lowest since 13th in 2014. In a post-season interview, he said via IndyCar:

"Personally, for the 2 car from a championship perspective, it’s been a really disastrous year. I don’t know how to put it other than disastrous."

To overcome this setback, the two-time IndyCar champion began detailed preparations with Team Penske shortly after the 2024 season ended. In an interview with host Bruce Martin of the Pit Pass Indy podcast in December, he revealed how his No. 2 team is yet to hit its performance ceiling.

"When you sort of hit your ceiling, you worry about where else you can go. I think we're pretty far away from where our ceiling is located at. That gives me great energy and hope for 2025, and we're already knee-deep in the details trying to figure out where we can be a little bit stronger," the 34-year-old said.

In 2025, Newgarden is aiming to become the first driver to achieve a third consecutive victory at the Indy 500, which would land team owner Roger Penske his record 21st victory at the "Greatest Spectacle of Racing."