EP4: Indy500 Champ Josef Newgarden and His Wife Ashley
from the cutting room floor:
If you’ve never been to the Indianapolis 500, what I want you to know is there is a reason they call it “the Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. The first time I hosted the race while working at ESPN, I didn’t believe my colleagues when they said “good luck” trying to keep a dry eye during the prerace ceremony. That was a rookie mistake. The power of the tradition before this race – the military salute, the flyover, the respects paid to the fallen, in juxtaposition with the firing of the engines, the excitement of the families of fans who haven’t missed a race in decades and families on the track, saying good luck to their loved ones who understand the element of elevated risk and danger unique to this particular style of racing is enough to take your breath away.
I understood fast how badly the drivers and their teams and their loved ones want to win THIS race and why crossing the finish line first in the Indy500 changes your life entirely. I watched Josef Newgarden and his team celebrate through a glass wall where I was watching in the broadcast booth and I could feel the energy and excitement. The morning after I was thrilled to talk with Josef and his wife Ashley (a former Disney princess) about what the win meant to him and I once again had a hard time keeping a dry eye as he connected the dots about the sacrifice and his father’s belief in him that came into focus when he crossed the finish line.
Podcast show notes:
This week, Lindsay’s taking her lunchtime conversation on the road! The Indy500 is the largest single day sporting event in the world. Indycar drivers know, win this and your life is changed forever. This year, after an intense final few laps, it was Joseph Newgarden who won in his 12th attempt at this historic event. Lindsay was there to take it all in and sat down the day after with Josef and his wife Ashley. They talk about the emotion of the win, how they balance life and racing and the risk and pressures that come with that lifestyle. Also, the storybook tale of how these two met while Ashley was working as a Disney princess is priceless.
episode breakdown:
The significance of the Indianapolis 500 [00:00:51]
The emotions of watching the race [00:03:31]
The final lap of the race [00:05:31]
Winning the race [00:06:41]
Celebrating with the crowd [00:09:34]
The Sacrifices of Racing [00:12:50]
The Challenges of Supporting a Racer [00:13:38]
Meeting at Disney World [00:19:05]
Long-Distance Relationship [00:21:41]
Overcoming Challenges in Racing [00:24:14]
The Dreamer [00:25:12]
Belief [00:26:14]
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