When Josef Newgarden crossed the finish line first at Road America, he did more than win the race. He also earned a hefty bonus.
The PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge was established at the beginning of this season to reward any driver who won a race on all three types of courses throughout the year; street, road course, and oval.
Newgarden ticked off two of those achievements earlier in the season with wins at Texas and Long Beach, and completed the set this past weekend in rural Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
As a reward for winning on all three types of tracks, the veteran was gifted $1 million to split between himself, his team, and charities of his choice.
Newgarden chose the SeriousFun Children’s Network charity and Wags and Walks Nashville to receive the donated half of the prize, with each receiving a significant amount of aid.
“Our dog Axel was adopted through Wags & Walks,” said Newgarden, explaining why he chose the charities. “They’ve been doing an amazing job. They work with a lot of great people in Nashville.
“They save all sorts of dogs. All sorts. You should hear some of these heartbreaking stories that these guys through to find these dogs homes. We need more of that.
“We’re very happy to be able to get some money to this group because they’ve done a lot for us and for a lot of people in Nashville. Very thrilled.
“We want to help these groups as much as we can. To have something like this challenge I think fires you up more competitively, that you want to get it done for them.
“You know it’s just a bonus and a plus for these two groups. I just know how impactful it is, so I get really competitive and want to make it happen.”
Even though Newgarden claimed the large prize with his win, the smaller $10,000 prizes for each win are still in effect through the 2022 season.
The two-time series champion will make an effort to continue earning money for the charities he cares about on his way to a third championship.
