CONCORD, N.C. – The open wheel world and stock car world have collided once again at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. For the first time since 1999, an Indy Car took to the track at Charlotte, but this time on the Roval.
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, who is fresh of a championship in the NTT IndyCar Series, made an exhibition run on Friday.
Following the Monster Energy Cup Series qualifying session, the track was buzzing with excitement to see the 2019 champion take on the 2.28-mile track. Before strapping in to take a few laps, Team Penske drivers Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano talked with him and moments later Newgarden fired up the car and sailed down the pit lane.
Fans gathered around the bridge to watch Newgarden make laps around the Roval for the first time. While the fans enjoyed the spectacle, he also enjoyed his time behind the wheel.
“Everything was smooth for the most part I was most interested in the tire difference,” Newgarden said.
“When you run a weekend with multiple series that have different tire makes and different cars normally when you got out in another session you have to clean the track up. I was only one car so I can’t clean the track for myself very fast. I thought there was no issue having two different tire makes and that was my big concern going into that.
“It was interesting to feel that, and it felt good it wasn’t bad the banking was really neat just because the wheel was really heavy. We don’t have power steering in these vehicles, it was pretty loaded up for a long period of time on the banking. I tried to go fast but not too fast, I think there might have another second or two in it, but it was just one run, so we want to take it a little easy.”
Newgarden was also able to drive the new backstretch chicane at Charlotte after the NASCAR drivers had their fair share in both practice and qualifying on Friday.
“I’m not sure how the NASCAR drivers feel but I think they will like it. It will keep them a little more honest, creates more of a braking zone and creates a better setup for coming on to the banking in the final corner,” Newgarden said. “I hope they race better because of it and I hope those guys like it, I didn’t have any issues with it.”
While the champion enjoyed his ride, he thought that theirs is a great chance that if IndyCar raced the product would be quite entertaining for race fans.
“Not sure I’d have to think about it now that I’ve done some laps there wasn’t anything that jumped out to me that was bad,” Newgarden said. “I would like to see more IndyCars on the track because then you’d have a better idea of how we would race. If we got a 20-car group running you’d see how we draft, I think we’d have a pretty good ability to race off the infield down the backstretch chicane. I think we’d get a lot of drafting going on there and you’d probably see moves into that chicane which would be a good passing zone.”
Stock car fans eyes were glued to the open wheel machine navigating the corners of the Roval. The same aurora was felt by Newgarden after he got out of the car on Friday.
“We’ve had some good support Jay (Frye) was here, the great thing is that there’s seems to be a lot more movement to racing fans being racing fans again,” said Newgarden.
“I love that because I’m a huge NASCAR fan myself it doesn’t matter; I grew up racing open wheel cars. I still appreciate top level racing. These guys are the best at what they do, and they feel the same way about us. This discussion emerging about trying to promote racing as a whole is a really great thing, I love it. I’m so interested in what they do all year and I think it’s the same on their side. The more we can do together in the future in my opinion is the benefit.”
While the race fans were excited to see the IndyCar make laps around the track, IndyCar President Jay Fyre had the same sentiments as race fans did.
“All the Cup guys watching on the big board, you guys (Media) and there is interest from us,” said Frye. “What’s next for all of us is something that we’re working on and again it’s great that the facility made us fell welcomed and wanted here.”
