When Hendersonville’s Josef Newgarden captured his second straight Indianapolis 500 in May, he became the first back-to-back champion of the race since Brazil’s Helio Castroneves won two straight in 2001 and 2002. Only six drivers have ever captured two consecutive Indy 500 wins, and Newgarden became the first American to do so since Al Unser Sr. in 1970 and 1971. Newgarden displayed a familiar flair for the dramatic, winning the race on a last-lap pass for the second consecutive year. He finished 0.3417 seconds ahead of second-place driver Pato O’Ward.Â
Best Back-to-Back Performance
