Josef Newgarden won't discuss Penske violations at Indy 500 media day

INDIANAPOLIS — Josef Newgarden clearly and respectfully established a boundary Thursday at Indianapolis 500 Media Day.

His only focus was Sunday.

Not Team Penske’s attenuator violations. Not owner Roger Penske’s recent firings. Just race day.

“I think we have a lot of people sitting here. I don’t want to disappoint or offend anybody; I’m here to talk about the race,” said Newgarden in response to the first question asked Thursday about Penske’s firings. “I love this race (and) I’ve enjoyed being here with the whole team. (I’m) ready to work with the group and proud of everything we’ve done up to this point.”

Newgarden and fellow Penske driver Will Power will start the Indy 500 from the final row Sunday. IndyCar president Doug Boles penalized their race-day positioning following the violations. Newgarden trusts his car’s speed as he faces what he calls a “bigger mountain" starting from the back.

“There’s no bad seat at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I like the challenge of coming from 32nd. I don't know what the day will look like; it’s so hard to predict,” Newgarden said. “Every year (the car) seems to be getting better and I am trying to protect that right now. Every day changes a little at the speedway, and you have to stay on top of it. Sunday is really going to be the day that counts. If we can do that, we should be in a good spot.”

Newgarden doesn’t underestimate his competition and believes every driver will be “pretty strong.” Newgarden said he and Power will attempt not to hinder each other while fighting to the front and wants all three Penske cars in the front row by the end of the race. The back-to-back 500 champion hasn’t set markers or milestones for his race and said he’s “open-minded” with his approach. 

“You have to focus on what you can control. That’s the difficult part about this job. It’s the difficult part about the Indy 500, ‘How do you stay focused on what you can control?’” Newgarden said. “That can look very different every year; different stressors can push you. If you could get yourself to a place focused on the task at hand, then I think you set yourself up mentally to have the best day possible.”

Newgarden said he’s trying to remain happy heading into Sunday. When asked what may be hindering his happiness at this juncture, Newgarden highlighted the weather. 

“It's a little cold to be happy today, a little gloomy,” Newgarden said.