{"id":33984,"date":"2025-01-18T19:06:16","date_gmt":"2025-01-18T23:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=33984"},"modified":"2025-01-18T19:30:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-18T23:30:23","slug":"motorsportstown-newgarden-penske-cadillac-f1-take-center-stage-at-auto-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/motorsportstown-newgarden-penske-cadillac-f1-take-center-stage-at-auto-show","title":{"rendered":"Mo(torsports)town: Newgarden, Penske, Cadillac F1 take center stage at auto show"},"content":{"rendered":"

Detroit<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Detroiters took a break from Lions-mania Friday to celebrate Racing Day at the Detroit Auto Show.<\/p>\n

While motorsports (and other sports, for that matter) can\u2019t rival football for its economic value, Racing Day illustrated how central racing has become to Detroit\u2019s automakers, economy and global standing.<\/p>\n

Headlined by Team Penske superstar driver and two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, the event showcased the breadth of Motown\u2019s investment in racing, from June\u2019s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, to Bloomfield Hills-based Team Penske\u2019s global ambitions to win the NASCAR\/Indy 500\/Le Mans trifecta, to General Motors Co.\u2019s elevation of its Cadillac brand to compete against Ferrari and Mercedes in Formula One.<\/p>\n

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(From left) Roger Penske and Josef Newgarden hold their \u201cBaby Borg\u201d trophies for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and the team owner\u2019s trophy during a ceremony at the Henry Ford museum, in Dearborn, January 16, 2025.<\/em><\/div>\n
David Guralnick, Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t been involved in (GM\u2019s) F1 project, I\u2019m focused 100% on IndyCar,\u201d said the 34-year-old Newgarden in between giving show attendees hot laps in the Detroit GP pace car, the 655-horsepower Corvette E-Ray. Team Penske cars are powered by Chevy engines. \u201cGM\u2019s involvement is great globally for the brand and I\u2019m excited to see them represent our country and represent as a manufacturer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Newgarden\u2019s comments came as part of a whirlwind, two-day tour of Detroit to promote the launch of ticket sales for the May 30-June 1 Detroit Grand Prix \u2014 and to accept the coveted \u201cBaby Borg\u201d trophies for winning the Indy 500 along with his boss and legendary team owner, Roger Penske.<\/p>\n

Cadillac\u2019s acceptance into F1 in 2026 has set off a frenzy of rumors about the drivers the team will choose after promising at least one race jockey will be American. Speculation at IndyCar\u2019s opening, 2025 Content Day in Indianapolis this week centered on Colton Herta (who drives for Andretti Global, which is managing the Cadillac effort). But Herta would not qualify for the so-called FIA Super License required to compete in F1 since he has not won an IndyCar championship Newgarden has won two.<\/p>\n

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Vimal Saigal, 45, of West Bloomfield (right) was first in line Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, to get a ride with IndyCar superstar Josef Newgarden in a Corvette E-Ray on the Detroit Auto Show’s indoor track.<\/em><\/div>\n
Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n
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Like Mario Andretti before him \u2014 the last American driver to win a F1 race in 1978 \u2014 Newgarden is the face of IndyCar, a hugely popular figure in the sport. That popularity was turbocharged last weekend when Fox, IndyCar’s new broadcast partner for all 17 races, debuted its first IndyCar ad on NFL Sunday on Jan. 12.<\/p>\n

Newgarden starred in the funny, fast-paced spot and it instantly went viral with a staggering 39 million views. A line of fans queued up at the auto show\u2019s indoor track Friday morning to ride shotgun with Newgarden (and four other race drivers).<\/p>\n

First in line was Vimal Saigal, 45, of West Bloomfield, who arrived a half-hour before the show\u2019s doors opened.<\/p>\n