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Come Fan with UsTuesday, August 4, 2026

2012 Indy 500: Josef Newgarden Records Fastest Time, Wrecks

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Josef Newgarden’s Wednesday practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was, if nothing else, extremely eventful.

For the second time since practice started for the 2012 Indy 500, Newgarden recorded the fastest time of the day, finishing his fastest lap with an average speed of 222.785 mph. To go along with that accomplishment, he took another honor on Wednesday: He became the first driver to crash during practice this year.

The Indy 500 rookie smacked the wall with 15 minutes remaining in practice but, much to the chagrin of his owner and crew, did not appear to do any serious damage to the car. Newgarden was infinitely more concerned with the state of his car than his own body.

“I’m fine. More importantly, I think the care is fine, which is good.”

This is why race car drivers are the craziest people on earth.

For more on Indy racing including the 2012 Indianapolis 500, please visit Pop Off Valve.

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