Josef Newgarden Is Learning To ‘Run’ to Become Auto Racing’s Fittest Driver

Josef Newgarden’s weakness has been exposed.

Unfortunately for the rest of the IndyCar Series circuit, you won’t find any fuel-injected flaws when the two-time Indy 500 winner is behind the wheel. Since joining the IndyCar circuit in 2012, Newgarden’s impeccable attention to training detail has been the catalyst for not only his success at the Brickyard but also his two IndyCar titles and 31 career wins.

However, the Nashville native has found that he’s currently most vulnerable on his feet. This hold true when he’s tasked with running against the clock and group of competitors. Meet Josef Newgarden—Hyrox athlete. These days, when the ignition is off in the Penske No. 2 Chevrolet, Newgarden is focused on mastering the red-hot global fitness event and its challengingly pesky 1km running sequences. While his speed on the racetrack earned him the largest check in Indy 500 history a year ago, Newgarden is slowly taking baby steps toward moving up the Hyrox ranks.

“My aerobic volume included almost no running,” Newgarden admits. “It’s been all C2 machines—rowing, ski ergs, and a lot of biking. So, I had very little running mileage.”

Newgarden is naturally more comfortable conquering 17-turn courses, like this weekend’s Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix, than completing the eight short-distance runs required in a Hyrox event. Nevertheless, despite just two months of preparation and limited running experience, Newgarden finished 36th in the overall men’s division (1:09.27) at Hyrox Houston on March 16.

When he puts it all together, Newgarden may very well be in the conversation as the fittest athlete in sports. IndyCar, with an aggressive marketing campaign, is trying to capitalize on his fitness, hoping to make his shredded frame and square jawline the face of its sport.

“I was pretty good at the functional stations; that was easier to figure out,” says Newgarden. “But learning to have an elite running ability without getting gassed was essentially my weak point.”

So far in 2025, Newgarden has two Hyrox competitions under his belt. But he says he will hold off on a third event until after the IndyCar season to focus on winning his third IndyCar title.

Hyrox is the latest training challenge for the well-known workout warrior, who has previously participated in the NFL Combine and was part of the Indiana Pacers’ “Power Pack” halftime trampoline slam dunk crew, as well as making a 2016 appearance on television’s “American Ninja Warrior.”

What makes his new fitness obsession so appealing, Newgarden says, is that training for Hyrox aligns perfectly with the workouts he incorporates into his racing. When he’s not running, Newgarden’s program requires very little alteration throughout the season.

“The crossover is really beneficial,” he said. “During the off-season, when I’m not driving, I needed something competitive, and I found Hyrox to be a new outlet to stay engaged with my fitness.”

Newgarden began the 2025 season with a strong third-place finish at the Firestone Grand Prix. Being ready when the first green flag drops requires the 2017 and 2019 IndyCar champion to staying ready year-round with a relentlessly rigorous workout program.

In his travel bag, he’ll often bring a Theragun mini or a foam roller for a needed early warmup. “Mobility is becoming more and more important for me, especially as I’m aging,” he says. “So I always have a couple tools in my bag for that. The contents in his gym bag may appear minimal, but having a well-equipped fitness center nearby is top priority. “If I’m in a hotel room, hopefully the gym is good,” he says. “If not, I’ll have to find a different hotel with a better gym.”

The staples of his routine remain consistent. A rower or ski erg and sufficient weights are essential for completing a hard, sweaty circuit that he performs year-round. This will ensure he’s at his fittest when the IndyCar season starts. However, he notes that all the gym training can’t replicate the G-forces necessary to navigate sharp track turns. Speeds can top 200 mph, so keeping your neck strong and healthy is essential.

“Every year, when I enter the season feeling the fittest I’ve ever been, I still need a few days in the car to perform specialized work and train my neck,” he admits. “It’s hard to replicate, so I focus on covering my base as thoroughly as possible to acclimate to the real thing once the season begins.”

Recently, Newgarden gave a group of SXSW fans a simulated session to showcase what an IndyCar workout looks like, including neck drills. At an F45 in Austin, Newgarden and his trainer, Jeff Richter, led a modified workout session that included five different stations, each with two exercises. It incorporated motorsports-centric movements like skiing, squat presses, rowing, and burpee broad jumps, similar to what Newgarden regularly performs. The goal of the workouts were to highlight the importance of shoulder mobility, grip strength, and endurance.

“These workouts we demonstrated were abbreviated versions of a full interval set that we typically perform when training for IndyCar and Hyrox,” Newgarden explained. “While it might not match the intensity of being in the car or competing in a full Hyrox race, it gave participants a taste of what those experiences entail.”

Though some fans may be surprised by his casual crossover from IndyCar to Hyrox. Newgarden, though, views the latter as an extension of his racing preparation. Hyrox tests both endurance and strength in a standardized indoor format that you can train for at home or in a well-equipped gym. Each Hyrox race consists of eight 1K runs. Those are sandwiched between functional workout stations that include sled pushes, rowing, burpee broad jumps, and sandbag lunges.

“I discovered Hyrox about two months ago, and I’ve been super into it,” he shared. “It’s one of the coolest forms of fitness racing available right now, and it’s very applicable to what I do in IndyCar.”

Newgarden observes that the similarities between Hyrox and IndyCar training are significant. Both races typically run about an hour or so to enabling him to maintain a high performance level in both. “I think the entire race format is similar,” he says. “The demands are very similar demand that you would get from an IndyCar race. You have to basically be doing an aerobic exercise in an anaerobic state for an hour plus of time.”

As fatigue sets in, focus and resolve become crucial to success in both arenas. “Closing the deal is really important in IndyCar, and I can see it’s equally crucial in Hyrox,” he explains.  “There are parallels throughout both, which I find fascinating,” he remarked.

He’s clocked speeds exceeding 228 mph during the 2024 Indy 500 qualifier. But now Newgarden finds himself struggling slightly with the running portion of Hyrox. It makes sense, considering the limited time he’s spent on a running course. Regular training with Concept2 equipment has made him proficient in exercises like skiing, rowing, and lunging. He expects to handle that once the IndyCar season ends.

“I realized that excellent running form is essential for elite performance in Hyrox,” he says. “And my running-specific conditioning needs substantial improvement for the off-season.”