Team Penske's Josef Newgarden has taken on another challenge ahead of the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season. He has competed in multiple Hyrox events while testing his fitness level.
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The two-time IndyCar champion most recently headed to Phoenix, Arizona. He competed in the fitness race on Saturday, Jan. 31, and he finished with a time of 1:04.30. This placed him 52nd overall among the Pro Men's division but 13th overall in the 35-39 age group.
For context, Newgarden finished approximately 10 seconds behind three-time Hyrox world champion Hunter McIntyre. Known as "The Sheriff," McIntyre has finished on the podium of 30 of his 34 attempted events. He also ranks as one of the 10 best male athletes in Spartan Race history.
Live from Phoenix at Hyrox…..
Guess who lookin’ like a champion….. pic.twitter.com/lb1ax26wMp— Derek Daly (@DerekDaly500) February 1, 2026
What exactly does a Hyrox event require from its participants? They must take on a variety of workout movements, separated by runs.
Hyrox event details for Pro Men's category
- 1,000-meter run
- 1,000-meter SkiErg
- 1,000-meter run
- 2, 25-meter sled pushes (445 pounds, plus the sled)
- 1,000-meter run
- 2, 25-meter sled pulls (337 pounds, plus sled)
- 1,000-meter run
- 80-meter burpee broad jump
- 1,000-meter run
- 1,000-meter row
- 1,000-meter run
- 200-meter kettlebell farmer's carry (2 kettlebells at 70 pounds)
- 1,000-meter run
- 100-meter sandbag lunge (66 pounds)
- 1,000-meter run
- 100 wall ball throws to a vertical target (20 pounds)
According to the breakdown, Newgarden's best movement during the Phoenix event was the farmer's carry. He finished this section in 1 minute and 21 seconds. The sled push took the two-time Indy 500 champion 2 minutes and 32 seconds.
This marked the fourth Hyrox event for Newgarden since March 15, 2025. He also competed in events in Houston, Chicago, and Dallas. His best finish in his age group was Chicago when he finished 10th in the 30-34 age group.
Newgarden has provided a look at his Hyrox experience. He posted a video on his YouTube channel that showed the behind-the-scenes moments from his trip to Dallas.
This included his hydration prep, athlete registration, and his warmup. He also revealed that he wanted to use the alias of Jason Newberry. Newgarden also showed off his post-race recovery, which featured In-N-Out Burger.
As Newgarden explained, he needed to shave about 8 seconds from his best time in Chicago. He needed to do so by improving on the run portion of the event, which totals approximately five miles.
