Indy 500 Winner Josef Newgarden Set For GTP Debut At Petit Le Mans

Porsche Penske Motorsport has announced its third drivers for the upcoming IMSA Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on 14 October, where two-time IndyCar Series champion and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden will make his first start in a GTP class prototype.

Newgarden will line up alongside Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr in the number 7 Porsche 963, while Laurens Vanthoor, who drives for Porsche Penske in the FIA World Endurance Championship, will be the third driver alongside Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy in the number 6 car.

“Porsche Penske Motorsport has chosen to add Laurens Vanthoor and Josef Newgarden to our Petit Le Mans lineup,“ said Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport.

“Laurens has raced at Road Atlanta in the Porsche 911 RSR and he will be able to add his experience from racing in the WEC for PPM. Josef brings a different dynamic as this year’s Indianapolis 500 winner, it will be something very exciting for the team as well as himself.”

The 32-year-old from Hendersonville, Tennessee, has 29 career IndyCar race victories throughout his career – including his first Indy 500 win, captured this year. He made his IMSA debut earlier this season at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, where he finished fifth in the LMP2 class for Tower Motorsports, and 11th overall.

“Josef has increased his exposure to sportscar racing already in 2023 with a test in the Team Penske LMP2, as well as raced in Daytona in 2023. In addition, he got his first exposure to the 963 in early June at Road America. With several testing days for the team at Road Atlanta, we are confident that both Laurens and Josef will be fully prepared to deliver for the team and have a positive result in the final race of the season,” Diuguid added.

“I have a lot of respect and admiration for both the Penske and Porsche brands, and the combination between the two through Porsche Penske Motorsport is a dream scenario for any racing car driver and is an absolute honour to be a part of,” Newgarden said.

“Watching the dedicated teams build this program from the ground up over the last couple of years has been exciting to watch, and seeing both Porsche 963 get wins this year and compete for championships shows that all the hard work has paid off. My goal is to add to the program and help support the tremendous efforts that Porsche Penske Motorsport have put in place. With some good fortune, I’m sure we can turn effort into results together.”

Vanthoor has run Petit Le Mans five times, with a best career finish of second in the 2021 GTD class – on his way to his second IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship title. Vanthoor also wrapped up the 2019 GTLM championship title at PLM with a fifth-place finish.

“I’m really excited to compete with the team’s IMSA program and help them wrap up their season, as they try and attain both the team and manufacturers championships,” said the Belgian.

“I feel like my experience at the track will help, and working closely with Nick, Mathieu and the entire team will help myself gain even more perspective of the overall organization as we wrap up the WEC season in Bahrain at the beginning of October.”

The two Porsche crews are fourth and seventh in the GTP drivers’ and teams’ championships, respectively, with just two races left in their season – the Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis, followed by Petit Le Mans. Porsche is second in the manufacturers’ championship, trailing Cadillac by 27 points.

In the Michelin Endurance Cup, the two cars are fifth and sixth in the teams’ standings, while the full-season driver crews are sixth and seventh in the drivers’ standings, and Porsche is third in the manufacturers’ standings.

Feature image © Penske Entertainment Group; additional images © IMSA, Porsche