IndyCar champ Josef Newgarden shelves his pursuit of HYROX success after grueling 3-month program

Team Penske's Josef Newgarden is one of the fittest drivers in IndyCar. He took on his first HYROX Race (an indoor fitness race that combines running and functional workouts) in early February, and, with him having competed in another event this month, he has come up with an update regarding the same via his X account.

Newgarden has made it known that he is putting his aspirations in the HYROX challenge on hold for the time being. The two-time IndyCar world champion has been at it in terms of preparation for three months, and with the conclusion of his most recent outing in the same, he has come up with the following update:

"Great to get another HYROX in the books! I would call this the end of my rookie orientation after a last minute crash course! I’ve learned so much in the last 3 months and really enjoyed the process. I’ll have to shelf this for now, but I will come back when my schedule frees back up," Newgarden wrote.

Newgarden, being an IndyCar racing driver, has packed schedules pretty much throughout the 17-race campaign.

Josef Newgarden exchanged helmets with Pato O'Ward in St. Pete

While Newgarden has made it known that he is putting the HYROX challenge on the back seat for the time being, he had a fruitful outing in the 2025 IndyCar season opener in St. Pete (third-place finish).

Moreover, ahead of the main Grand Prix, Newgarden linked up with Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward and did a helmet swap. The duo had a fun time doing the same, and Newgarden shared a glimpse of it on his Instagram account.

He posted a picture with the following caption:

"I bet you want to know what was written on these helmet visors. We have many more battles to go!" Newgarden wrote.

Newgarden and O'ward are some of the top drivers on the modern IndyCar grid. The former is already a two-time world champion, whereas O'Ward is steadily climbing the ladder. In line with this, the Arrow McLaren driver ended his 2024 campaign in an impressive fifth place behind Newgarden's Penske teammate, Will Power.

Moreover, he was also able to secure 460 points with three victories, six top-fives, and 10 top-ten finishes. From Newgarden's perspective, 2024 was an average year. In his outings, he was only able to secure 401 points that were good enough for an eighth-place finish in the drivers' standings.

The 2025 season has begun on a strong note for him with his P3 St. Pete finish, and considering this, he would eye at least a podium finish again in the upcoming Round two of the season (Thermal Club Grand Prix).