We recently were invited to attend the celebration at the beautiful, new FGL House of Big Machine sponsored IndyCar driver, Josef Newgarden. Newgarden just became the 2017 Indycar Series Champion.
Josef Newgarden is originally from Hendersonville, TN. As Big Machine president/CEO Scott Borchetta said with a chuckle during the interview that night, they’ve had some “luck” with people from Hendersonville since Big Machine artist and the biggest selling singer currently in the world for the last few years, Taylor Swift, also hails from the same small town near Nashville. Yes, I’ll say they have had some “luck”. Must be something in the water there!
It’s easy to see why Borchetta, who is a big fan of racing, wanted to get behind Newgarden. Borchetta has the uncanny ability to spot raw talent and, obviously, has had great success with those he has gotten behind like: Swift, Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Midland, and Carly Pearce; just to name a few. Newgarden is charismatic, articulate, and handsome with the steadfast and competitive nature that it takes to be successful in the sport of IndyCar racing.
Newgarden graciously took a few minutes from celebrating the win with the Big Machine team, his family and friends to talk with us. He discussed his background and how he got to be an IndyCar driver. According to Newgarden, as a kid he was always into sports, playing baseball and basketball, but he was soon drawn to the sport of racing as “he became fasicinated by race cars, specifically, IndyCars” and, finally, “at the age of 13, he convinced his parents to drive him to Indianapolis, which was the closest place that had competitive go kart racing.” It gave him an opportunity to start figuring out what that world was all about, and he started with competitive go kart racing; finding it was something he was good at.
See the video below for more with his full response:
Josef Newgarden also talked of his greatest obstacle he has had to overcome in his career so far. He stated that persevering through the “longevity” it takes to break into the sport of racing has been the biggest challenge. That “it’s a difficult sport to break in to.” He kept with it, obviously, making quite a name for himself throughout the last few years in the highly-competitive sport.
September 17, 2017; Sonoma, CA, USA; IndyCar Series driver Josef Newgarden (2) celebrates winning the IndyCar Series championship during the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-355368 ORIG FILE ID: 20170917_kkt_st3_057.jpg
Congratulations on becoming the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion, Josef Newgarden, and thank you to the kind folks at Big Machine for having us out to celebrate this momentus occasion with them. We thoroughly enjoyed the party on the rooftop of FGL House mingling with party guests, taking in the spectacular views that the venue has to offer of downtown Nashville, and enjoying the tasty food served on trays by an attentive staff.
About Josef Newgarden
(About winning a championship for Team Penske in his first year with the team): I certainly dreamed I could come in and win a lot of races and win the championship. But I don’t think I believed that (a championship) was going to happen. It was certainly hard to believe that.
ON TRACK
Won 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series Championship in his first season with Team Penske.
Seven-time Indy car race winner, including a career-best four wins in 2017.
His dominating win at Iowa in 2016 set an Indy car record for most laps led by a race winner.
Proud graduate of the Mazda Road to Indy, he won the 2011 Indy Lights championship with five race victories.
Recipient of 2012 Tony Renna Rising Star Award
OFF TRACK
A versatile athlete, who appeared on a 2016 episode of “American Ninja Warrior” with other Verizon IndyCar Series drivers and has participated in the NFL Combine and the Indiana Pacers Slam Dunk contest. He played baseball and basketball before turning to racing.
Listens to R&B and Dance/EDM and is a fan of Twenty One Pilots, The Weeknd, Skrillex and Diplo.
Loves fashion. Appearing front row at the Rag & Bone Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week in September 2016; cover model on the March issue of Image & Style magazine and the only model in an eight-page feature in the Spring 2016 issue of Pattern magazine.
Spokesperson for the Best Friends Animal Society and featured in its “Show Your Soft Side” campaign, also represents Outrun the Sun, a melanoma and skin cancer awareness organization.
Enjoys rock climbing and most outdoor activities; an avid Forza player.
About Verizon IndyCar Series
Featuring racing at a combination of superspeedways, short ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits, the Verizon IndyCar Series offers its international lineup of drivers the most diverse challenges in motorsports. The top point scorer is crowned the series champion and receives a $1 million bonus.
Founded in 1994, INDYCAR serves as the sanctioning body for the Verizon IndyCar Series.
These stars drive single-seat, open-cockpit cars that feature a 2.2-liter, twin turbocharged, direct-injected V-6 engine optimized to run at 12,000 RPM with an estimated 500-700 horsepower depending on the turbocharger boost setting. The consumer-relevant engines, which are supplied by Chevrolet and Honda, utilize Sunoco E85R fuel.
ABC and NBCSN provide comprehensive live, high-definition television coverage of the Verizon IndyCar Series in the United States, while ESPN International oversees race coverage to 212 countries. The TV telecasts are complemented by the Advanced Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network for each event, which includes Sirius XM Satellite Radio and the American Forces Radio Network.
About FGL House
Situated on 3rd Avenue South in the Country music mecca of downtown Nashville, FGL House features music every day – focusing specifically on today’s country trends. A world-class kitchen fuses unique Southern style cuisine with California flair, and bars on each floor serve local craft beers and deliciously mixed cocktails – many featuring the red-hot duo’s own Old Camp Whiskey.
FGL House also boasts the largest “Cruise” rooftop Nashville has to offer, dedicated to an all-day and all-night party with stunning views of the Music City skyline. Meanwhile, visitors can step away from the hustle and bustle to relax in our basement-level lounge, Little Red Corvette, complete with its own baby grand piano, cocktail menu inspired by ‘90s pop culture and specialty martinis.
A massive, awe-inspiring video wall continuously showcases the hottest video content from Florida Georgia Line and other country stars – as well as all your favorite sporting events – and the internationally renowned Dee Jay Silver spins custom country mixes during can’t-miss Country Club Tuesdays.
