After winning the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, Josef Newgarden debuted a new celebration which saw him climb through the fence and directly into the grandstands with the fans.
He had planned the celebration for a long time, even scoping out the gap in the fencing years before, and was sure to celebrate the way he wanted after he took his first victory at the historic race.
Newgarden was quickly mobbed by the cheering crowds, and had little security protection because he had not let anyone know of his celebration plans.
He was forced to go back to his car and crew more quickly than he had originally thought, but still does not regret sharing his biggest career achievement directly with the fans.
“To win this race is indescribable,” said Newgarden. “I think being at this event is indescribable. Someone has to come and see it and be a part of it to understand what it is really all about.
“I’ve always wanted the honor to win this race because I wanted to go in the crowd if it was ever possible because I know what the energy is like here in Indianapolis. So to me, it was an unbelievable finish to be able to be here with the team and do that.
“The only thing I really had in my head that I wanted to do was go in the crowd. That was the only thing I felt adamant about. If I was lucky enough to win, I was doing that.
“I knew exactly where the gap was. I’d been over there many, many years. I’ve seen that photo hole spot, and really it’s just like an access point that you can crawl under. It looks like it’s closed but there’s a way to get through. I knew exactly where I was going at the end of this race.
“I planned to go higher in the stands, but it quickly got a little out of control, and I thought, ‘Maybe the best thing is for me to leave again.’ I hugged a couple people. I felt the energy, and I’m like, ‘I need to get out of here.’
“But it was really cool. You just can’t beat the Hoosier hospitality, the energy that people bring here. It is second to none when it comes to a sporting event.
“I’ve always known that, having the privilege of being here many, many years and seeing it, and I just wanted to be a part of it. It was always something that would be a dream come true to be able to do that.”
The unique celebration could spark a new tradition, similar to how Helio Castroneves climbing the catch fence, and earning the nickname Spiderman in the process, has been emulated by others after meaningful victories.
Even if the same celebration is not attempted next year, there will likely be one or two track security guards in position to make sure the crowd doesn’t get further out of hand.
