Josef Newgarden delivers four-word reaction to Alex Palou's IndyCar promo

Reigning two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden recently clapped back at Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou's humourous jibe from earlier this month. Newgarden reacted to FOX Sports' IndyCar promotional video featuring Palou.

With the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series approaching fast, both fans and drivers are enthusiastic for another enthralling campaign. In preparations for the upcoming season, FOX Sports, who recently secured IndyCar's broadcasting rights after six years, released its latest promotional video featuring reigning champion Alex Palou, the second in a series of three promotional clips highlighting IndyCar drivers.

The 45-second clip centered on Palou, a three-time IndyCar champion from Chip Ganassi Racing. It showcased his racing achievements while incorporating light-hearted humor to engage fans. Josef Newgarden, who featured in the first promotional video released earlier this month, reacted to Palou's clip with a playful tweet on his X account:

"My kid loved it!"

This remark was a throwback to the January 12 promo starring Newgarden, where Palou made a cameo. In that video, the voiceover praised Newgarden’s fictitious children's book, calling it “America’s favorite.” Palou then appeared, quipping:

"My kid hated it."

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward is set to feature in the third and final promotional video in the coming weeks.

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Josef Newgarden points the irony to Alex Palou's comment, reveals the Spaniard owns his book

In a recent appearance on the Pit Pass Indy podcast, Josef Newgarden revealed an ironic detail about Alex Palou's comment about his book. The Team Penske driver disclosed that Palou actually owns a copy of the children’s book in question. He stated:

"It was so funny to me. You know, it showed a little personality for Alex. I think the irony is that he actually has one of those books and I don't think he hates it, but it was very funny."

In addition to the humor surrounding the fictional book, Newgarden’s promo also included a nod to his physical appearance, calling his jawline the "greatest jawline in sports." Reacting to the clip, the Nashville, Tennessee native admitted feeling embarrassed by the attention. He said:

"It's embarrassing for me. I don't know what people are on about with that, but that's what they wanna focus on, that's fine. Whatever's gonna get people to tune in to watch a great race is what I care about," he said.

Josef Newgarden will enter the 2025 season with the goal of three-peating the Indianapolis 500 race. Last year, he became the first driver since Helio Castroneves to win the 500 back-to-back.