Penske star Josef Newgarden makes fashion statement as he reps ‘I love Ryan Blaney’ t-shirt in Canada

IndyCar ace Josef Newgarden turned heads north of the border with his fashion choice ahead of the upcoming race in Canada. The 34-year-old opted to appear for the first practice session of the Toronto race in a Ryan Blaney-themed shirt.

The Team Penske driver, who has largely endured a forgettable campaign through 2025 so far, showed up for the temporary street circuit event donning a black T-shirt with the inscription showing 'I and a love symbol' followed by a picture of Ryan Blaney and his famous moustache. The Nashville native shared a post referring to his outfit on his Instagram, accompanied by the caption:

“Felt like Blaney’s beard would be a hit with the Canadians.”

While Josef Newgarden sporting a shirt themed around Ryan Blaney was amusing in itself, it is the timing of the outfit that has largely stirred reactions among fans. Blaney, who races in the NASCAR Cup Series for Team Penske, boasts a subtle superstitious habit of leaving his moustache unshaven as the stock car racing season enters its business end.

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion has often admitted that his unshaven moustache brings him luck through the final stages of the season — a ritual which Josef Newgarden appears to be trying out. Specifically, the Penske team driver has suffered multiple crashes and DNFs throughout the 2025 season so far, with his last outing at Iowa Speedway being the first race since the IndyCar street race in Detroit, where he didn’t suffer any incident.

Notwithstanding, Newgarden still had his fair share of bad luck at the short oval race, as several pit stop strategies cost him what could have been his first win of the season on both race days during the doubleheader. The two-time IndyCar Series champion will now hope for much better luck as he kicks off the race weekend on the streets of Toronto.

Josef Newgarden struggles in first round of Toronto Grand Prix practice

While Josef Newgarden may have opted to sport the Ryan Blaney shirt for some luck as the IndyCar season enters its final stages, the former Ed Carpenter Racing star had little to no luck during the first session of the race weekend. The American driver could only muster a 15th-place finish during the first practice of the weekend on Friday, July 18.

Newgarden, who was the most impressive of the Team Penske drivers during last week’s Iowa Speedway race, suffered a subtle contrast in fortune, finishing far behind his other teammates during the session. Scott McLaughlin topped the Penske trio, setting the second-fastest lap of the session, while veteran teammate Will Power managed a fifth-place finish.

Josef Newgarden, for his part, continued what is fast becoming an inherent struggle on road and street tracks throughout the 2025 season so far, with a 15th-place finish. While the #2 car driver largely struggled during the session, Andretti Autosport driver Kyle Kirkwood set the pace for the grid, with championship leader Alex Palou clocking the third-fastest time of the session.

With the Toronto race weekend now entering its business end, the Penske driver will be aiming to quickly turn his weekend around and collect as many points as possible. It is worth noting that Newgarden boasts fond memories of racing around the Canadian street circuit, including two race victories, which he achieved in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

Edited by Sumeet Kavthale