Newgarden has Shell of a week taking in oil rigs and F1 race
OCT 23, 2017
AUSTIN, Texas – Verizon IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden had the busiest of weeks.
A month removed from hoisting the Astor Cup trophy at the season finale in Sonoma, California, the 26-year-old Tennessean had quite the adventure with Team Penske partner Shell that took him from an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico to Formula One’s United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.
Newgarden’s travels were chronicled on social media.
“We spent a lot of time with our partner at Shell,” Newgarden said. “They do work with Ferrari (in F1) as well, so it’s been a really good tie-in to involve all their motorsports. They had (F1 driver) Sebastian Vettel, we had Joey Logano from the (Team Penske) NASCAR side. Then, I was representing the INDYCAR side of things. It’s been busy. I feel like it’s been busy since the checkered flag dropped at Sonoma.
“There’s been a lot going on, within the motorsports space specifically, but a lot of traveling and work.”
Newgarden’s week began in Austin for promotional work with Shell that included him taking on Logano and Vettel in slot car racing as well as a competition to see who could drive a golf ball the farthest:
Who swung it better? ⛳️ #ShellLive
— ShellMotorsportTeam (@ShellMotorsport) October 20, 2017
👉 https://t.co/K0IOODnJXt pic.twitter.com/uj0qZi4vsI
We're wishing fellow @Shell driver #Seb5 good luck in today's #USGP at @COTA after he hung out w/ @JosefNewgarden & @JoeyLogano last week. pic.twitter.com/p9VTw3UtoO
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 22, 2017
Yes ladies and gentlemen, that’s your reigning @verizon @IndyCar Champion in a Keep Austin Weird t-shirt. You’re welcome. @josefnewgarden pic.twitter.com/m7RPiGtS1l
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 18, 2017
Then it was on to New Orleans for Newgarden, who had to pass extensive training before he could be transported by helicopter to the Shell oil rig in the Gulf. The training included emergency procedures for a helicopter water landing as well as lifeboat protocol for the oil rig:
This was intense. 😮
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 19, 2017
Inverted helicopter escape training before visiting the @Shell_US oil rig tomorrow. Really cool. - @josefnewgarden pic.twitter.com/Pnpmbhz2go
For the next bit of @Shell_US oil rig training, I just did an underwater obstacle course - and feel a bit like Houdini. 😁 - @josefnewgarden pic.twitter.com/k8JvC9cgT1
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 19, 2017
Once aboard the oil rig platform, Newgarden learned oil is retrieved from under the Gulf of Mexico, separated from the water and sent on its way:
Just me and a @Shell_US oil rig. NBD. 🤗 - @josefnewgarden pic.twitter.com/xFctL52qEo
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 20, 2017
Our next stop is to learn how oil is separated from 💧 from the sea floor. Learning a lot @ the Auger @Shell_US oil rig. - @josefnewgarden pic.twitter.com/DHdupsNQmu
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 20, 2017
After that, Newgarden returned to terra firma and headed back to Austin to take in Sunday’s race and learn more about Shell's F1 operations. There, he participated in the NBC prerace grid walk with Will Buxton and met up with two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso, who competed with Newgarden and the rest of the Verizon IndyCar Series field in May’s 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil.
Pretty cool to complete my #RigtoRoad journey with @Shell_US with a stop @COTA to see the Shell Trackside Laboratory.⛽️ - @josefnewgarden pic.twitter.com/p2pL2BsTxP
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) October 21, 2017
Hey @thebuxtonblog, thanks for including me in the fun today. Cheers bro 🤙 pic.twitter.com/Uf7PHgml1w
— Josef Newgarden (@josefnewgarden) October 23, 2017
Great to catch up with our #Indy500 pal @alo_oficial earlier today. Hope to cross paths on the race track again soon! pic.twitter.com/tmIfN861tN
— Josef Newgarden (@josefnewgarden) October 22, 2017
A former driver in the GP3 feeder series in Europe before turning his attention to INDYCAR’s Mazda Road to Indy ladder that led to him joining the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2012, Newgarden admitted to retaining an affection for Formula One.
"I always just admired the race cars the most,” he said. “That’s what I tell people because it’s the truth. I loved the Formula One era of ’03 to ’07. That era was really fun. Those cars were fascinating to watch. They were so entertaining and when I was growing up watching racing.
“That was my favorite era of the series.”
Newgarden was among several from the INDYCAR paddock in Austin for the F1 race, including series executives Mark Miles and Jay Frye, Andretti Autosport CEO Michael Andretti and two-time Indy 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya.
The newest Verizon IndyCar Series champion is fully focused on INDYCAR racing now. Newgarden said he is refreshed and eager to get back into the cockpit of his Team Penske machine.
“It’s been a huge privilege just representing the IndyCar Series and everything that we’ve done throughout the year, and the great racing that we’ve had,” said Newgarden. “It’s been a ton of fun being in that position. It’s been busy.
“I feel ready to go for next year. I’m already ready to get back to work, I’m ready to go testing more, I’m ready to get back to the racetrack. I’m ready to get to St. Pete (for the 2018 opener). I’m ready to go get into May. I think getting to back to May and trying to win the (Indy) 500 is a big deal.”