On Thursday, IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden donned some make-up and a Kentucky Derby-worthy suit and hat to participate in a media question and answer session. It wasn’t to answer questions for the first half, though. It was to pretend to be a member of the media. Newgarden had me fooled, too.
I’m so used to odd members of the international press who have varying levels of tact that I didn’t even bat an eyebrow at Newgarden’s jokes, which asking Graham Rahal if his wife Courtney Force was free for lunch to complimenting Oriol Servia for being named after a cookie. I mean, have you seen ?
Besides, one of his questions was about what drivers do when they have to use the restroom, and that’s exactly what our own Jason Torchinsky asked the Chip Ganassi guys about . I mean, who doesn’t want to know if drivers pee in the car*?
Alas, the somewhat off-kilter man asking questions in a silly hat was none other than Josef Newgarden, pretending to be “Ted Crasnick” from various made-up media outlets, “including HarveyWorld.com, Boca Raton Senior Society, ProstateHealth.com and RVWorld.com,” writes .
Of the drivers, only Will Power was on to Newgarden’s schtick. Later, though, Newgarden’s team owner Ed Carpenter donned some of Newgarden’s disguise to ask a few questions of his own when Carpenter finally had to do the Q&A as a driver.
Ted Crasnick’s deep investigative journalism will air Sunday before the race on ABC’s pre-race show, according to NBC Sports. Newgarden will be starting the Indianapolis 500 from second position, which is no joke.
*Answer: Me. Do not pee in my car. Even if you do, don’t tell me and let me assume it’s just sweat. Really, though, don’t pee in my car.