The NTT IndyCar Series commercials focusing on specific drivers have returned, and with a sinister twist. Just look at Josef Newgarden, who stars in the latest TV spot for Fox Sports.
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The two-time IndyCar champion hosts a garden party in the first commercial for the 2026 season. He mans the grill while the narrator talks about the other side of his personality.
"His neighbors would say, 'He's perfect,'" the narrator says about Newgarden. "Perfect life, perfect hair, perfect abs. But killers often hide in plain sight."
The two-time Indy 500 champion then reaches down with bare hands and just grabs a chunk of ground beef. He holds it up while the narrator talks about how Newgarden had "ripped a man's heart out on live TV."
The Fastest Racing on Earth is back.
Check out @josefnewgarden March 1 on FOX. pic.twitter.com/ku0BbM4NkA
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) January 17, 2026
This comment, of course, references Newgarden passing Pato O'Ward on the final lap of the 2024 Indy 500 to snatch away the win.
To accentuate the point about the Team Penske driver being a "killer," he slams the ground beef onto the BBQ grill grates and then licks his thumb clean.
This "sinister" TV spot had the purpose of promoting the upcoming IndyCar Series season and the opening race on March 1, the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
It also showed the veteran driver's acting skills. He showed that he could channel a seemingly docile person hiding a darker side, much like blood splatter analyst Dexter from the long-running HBO series.
This is not the first time that Fox Sports has turned to Newgarden for a TV spot promoting the IndyCar season. He also led a campaign in January 2025 that highlighted his attributes and background.
This particular spot used some surprising imagery to highlight how the veteran driver "was conceived" to win races. It then irked former NFL quarterback Tom Brady by saying that Newgarden might have the greatest jawline in sports.
If Fox Sports and IndyCar follow the same strategy as last season, they will continue to release more commercials while highlighting the other top drivers in the series.
