#teampenske

Fuel saving sounds boring until the wall is waiting at Turn 1.

That is what makes Josef Newgarden at St. Petersburg so tense. The No. 2 Penske Chevrolet cannot simply attack every straight like pride is the strategy. Sometimes the winning move starts with the engine going quiet before the driver wants it to.

Lift early. Coast longer. Brake late enough that nobody behind knows whether you are vulnerable or setting a trap.

That is the whole game.

St. Pete gives drivers long straights, hard braking zones, concrete walls and almost no room for panic. Newgarden has to save fuel without looking slow, protect the tires without losing bite, and trust the pit wall when the tank starts telling ugly truths.

The pass gets the replay.

Josef Newgarden’s late braking has always carried danger.

That is the point.

The No. 2 Penske Chevrolet is scary because Newgarden can make a corner feel uncomfortable before the other driver is ready for it. He hits the brake zone with belief, pressure and just enough threat to make the mirror matter.

But Penske does not only see courage.

They see tire temperature. Brake release. Steering angle. Wasted exit speed. The little mistakes that turn a brave move into a slow corner.

That is the stress test.

Newgarden does not need to become careful. Careful drivers do not scare anyone. He needs to keep the bite while cleaning up the waste.

Attack the right corner. Survive the wrong one. Save the front tires. Build the pass before the lunge.

The question is not whether Newgarden still has nerve.