“There is a limit”: When Josef Newgarden opened up on the addition of aeroscreen to IndyCar

The two-time IndyCar champion, Josef Newgarden, talked about the aeroscreen in the sport back in 2020. Aeroscreen was introduced to protect the drivers from head and upper body injuries, specifically from flying debris.

In line with this, Newgarden shared that he liked the additional challenge of driving IndyCars with the aeroscreen. In an exclusive interaction with All Things Automotive in 2021, he added:

"I can definitely relate. I prefer to have a more grueling environment physically: I put a lot of emphasis on my fitness so just making it more difficult to cope was a positive to separate myself from the pack. But there is a limit. IndyCar worked really hard to provide solutions and we have gotten things in a window now where they are reasonable for the entire field," Josef Newgarden said.

Josef Newgarden is easily one of the top drivers in America's highest class of open-wheel racing. Other than his two drivers' championships, he is also a two-time winner of the iconic Indy 500. Moreover, he achieved this back-to-back in 2023 and the 2024 event.

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Josef Newgarden's take on most difficult part of 2020 IndyCar season

While Josef Newgarden gave his take on aeroscreen back in 2020, via the same conversation, he also took the time to shed light on that year's IndyCar season. In 2020, the 34-year-old ended up in second place in the standings with 521 points.

In line with this and his overall campaign, he added:

"For me it was the connectivity. We have great access to each other nowadays, especially with Verizon providing us with BlueJeans and their communications apps. It’s incredible how connected you can be, but there is something to say for having that in-person interaction with the team." Newgarden said.

The Team Penske driver has been competing in America's highest class of open-wheel racing since 2012. He has so far managed to amass 215 race starts, during which he has put on board 31 wins, 58 podiums, and 18 pole positions. His last championship triumph came in the 2019 season.

Keeping in view that it has been five years since Newgarden last won the championship, he would be itching to amass his third this year. However, it seems quite difficult given that he is currently in 10th place in the drivers' championship.

After three rounds of the ongoing 2025 IndyCar season, the 34-year-old has only managed to secure 58 points. He is the third-best driver at Team Penske in terms of points and is way behind the championship leader, Alex Palou.

The Chip Ganassi driver is sitting pretty at the top with 142 points. If Newgarden is to make a solid challenge for this year's title, he will be required to pull his socks up in the coming races.