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 ranged from 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 Kai Ebel?
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 that morning. 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 NBC Sports.
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.