"I'm a little nervous": Josef Newgarden shares insight into his 2025 IndyCar preseason readiness

IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden uploaded a video on his YouTube channel as he gave an update on preseason preparation. The Team Penske driver took the pre-season performance test in the uploaded video, which is a test to determine the fitness and readiness of a driver before jumping back into the open-wheel racing machine.

Before entering the medical center for the pre-season performance test, Newgarden detailed how he was nervous and that he wanted to do better on the test than he did the previous year. The Team Penske driver said:

“I'm a little nervous. I'm nervous that you're here with a camera. You're gonna film this, but I'll show you the stats I got last time. And I really want a higher number than I had last time. I always like to start with an excuse. I feel like I'm in a similar state to last time. I'm getting a little sick, but I'm okay.” (2:47 onwards)

First up was the DEXA scan, which is a full body x-ray that measures bone density and body fat percentage. The result came out to 10.4 body fat and Newgarden was ecstatic about the same. He celebrated and said:

“People are gonna think I'm a total douchebag with the way I'm reacting to this, but it's fair. I love it. I just love training. (3:22 onwards)”

Next up was a sweat gland test and a VO2 test that measures how much oxygen one can use during intense exercise. Josef Newgarden scored 60.4 in the VO2 test in September 2024 and the score went up to 65-66 during the preseason test.

The last test for the IndyCar driver was to take up half of the HYROX challenge simulation which is a global fitness challenge. Newgarden competed in the HYROX challenge earlier this year in February.

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“Got a long way to go”: Josef Newgarden on competing in the HYROX challenge in Las Vegas

Josef Newgarden uploaded a reel on his Instagram account from when he took the HYROX challenge in Las Vegas. The reel began with the Team Penske driver preparing for the challenge in his hotel room as his wife Ashley sipped on a glass of wine. The reel then moved to clips from the challenge and Newgarden then came out and detailed how it went for him. The caption read:

“I must say, this race result took the wind out of my sails a bit. I was somewhere between demoralized and relieved at the finish line, but I woke up the next day and was ready for more! So cool to get a time on the board in Vegas last weekend. I'm loving this HYROX challenge. I've got a long way to go, but I'll have another attempt at this in March! Also, mad respect to all the HYROX athletes.”

The HYROX challenge consists of 8K of running and 8 function exercise stations. It is 1k of running followed by a station, which is repeated eight times. The one who completes the challenge in the shortest time is declared the winner.