“I had very little running mileage”: Josef Newgarden candidly speaks about his fitness gains

Josef Newgarden recently opened up about his fitness gains. The IndyCar driver has ventured into the world of Hyrox events—a competitive fitness race that blends endurance and functional strength exercises.

The two-time Indy 500 winner’s foray into functional fitness has seen him participate in recently held Hyrox events.

Newgarden made his Hyrox debut at the Las Vegas event, clocking a time of 1 hour, 14 minutes, and 32 seconds in the Pro Men 30-34 division. He subsequently participated again, this time in Houston, where he recorded a significant improvement in his performance, finishing in 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 27 seconds and clinching the 39th spot.

Reflecting on fitness gain and his Hyrox experience in comparison to his IndyCar preparation, Josef Newgarden, as quoted by Muscle & Fitness, stated:

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

Unlike the fitness demands of motorsports, Hyrox combines strength, endurance, and sustained cardiovascular effort—a challenge the Team Penske star has embraced.

Speaking further on the challenge of competing in the fitness race, the 34-year-old detailed:

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

So far in 2025, the IndyCar driver has competed in two Hyrox events and is expected to enter another after the IndyCar season.

Josef Newgarden reacts after Thermal club Grand Prix

Josef Newgarden at the Thermal Club circuit - Source: Getty

Josef Newgarden has reacted following his outing at the Thermal Club Grand Prix. The Team Penske driver endured a torrid weekend and failed to live up to the lofty expectations many had of him.

The Nashville-born racer took to social media to detail how he felt in the aftermath of the Palm Springs event.

Sharing a post on his Instagram, the two-time IndyCar champion labeled the Grand Prix as “tough”:

“Leaving Thermal wishing for more. Tough weekend all around, but I'm already ready for the next show. This team is ready to deliver, and they brought a lot of fight this weekend 👊👊 Signing off with P13 for this race.”

Josef Newgarden qualified for the Grand Prix in 17th and could only improve to 13th on race day at the 3.04-mile circuit. His performance at the California event was underwhelming compared to his showing at the season-opening St. Petersburg event, where he finished in third place after qualifying in 10th.

The Team Penske star will now shift his focus to delivering a better performance in the next race on the IndyCar calendar—the Long Beach Grand Prix of California—a race where he has experienced success in recent years, including a victory in the 2022 season.