Is Josef Newgarden the ‘Perfect Neighbor’? You be the Judge

6 months ago 25

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The 2026 INDYCAR season will start March 1 and most drivers will get on track early in February for testing.

In addition to their normal offseason preparations, four drivers spent some time displaying their acting skills, as they participated in an ad campaign ahead of the season.

The first ad debuted Jan. 17, featuring Josef Newgarden in a spot called "Perfect Neighbor."

Newgarden, a two-time series champion for Team Penske, is one of four INDYCAR drivers in the campaign. Four-time series champion and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) and 2025 series runner-up Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) also return for their second year as part of the ad campaign.

Another two-time champion, Will Power, also will be the focus of an ad. Power enters his first year at Andretti Global after a successful 17-year stint at Team Penske.

If you watch the Newgarden ad, you can decide whether he is the perfect neighbor.

O'Ward might disagree and think that spot is garbage. That's all right. He'll have a spot of his own soon enough.

The 17-race series, with all races on FOX, begins March 1 on the streets of St. Petersburg.

Following those two races are two new venues. There's the Mar. 7 race at Phoenix Raceway, in conjunction with a NASCAR Cup Series weekend and then the inaugural Arlington Grand Prix, which will feature a course around the Cowboys and Rangers stadium Mar. 15 in Texas.

The biggest race of the season — the 110th Indianapolis 500 — is set for May 24.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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