What happened to Josef Newgarden? How driver's dream of Indy 500 three-peat ended with 25th-place finish

Josef Newgarden's quest to pick up a third-straight Indy 500 title turned to ashes on Sunday afternoon.

The Team Penske standout showcased speed and precision for much of Sunday's spectacle, scaling some 25 spots to put himself in position to potentially claim a momentous victory at The Brickyard.

Unfortunately for him, his fuel pump had other plans. Here's what you need to know about Newgarden's disappointing finish at the 2025 Indy 500.

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What happened to Josef Newgarden?

Newgarden rallied from his last row start to climb up to sixth in the race leaderboard at Lap 130. Collisions and premature exits were aplenty as Newgarden brought his chariot to pit road for a quick tune-up on Lap 133.

Nothing was out of the ordinary for the Team Penske supernova — that is, until he met his pit crew's embrace. Newgarden's steed was felled not by wreck, but by mechanical issue: his fuel pressure swelled atop the cherry-brick road.

There will be no three-peat. Josef Newgarden and the No. 2 team are done.#Indy500 on FOX pic.twitter.com/Hl8zwjLnZU

Newgarden's team did all they could to salvage the car, but it was effectively scrap metal. He finished a distant 25th place, unable to finish the race he started on account of the malady.

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"Tried to be methodical," Newgarden told the Fox broadcast. "I just wish we had a chance to fight for it."

Newgarden slalomed through the grid over the opening three-fourths of the race, putting himself into position to potentially capture a historic three-peat.

In the end, he fell just short, the same fate as the other five back-to-back Indy 500 winners who weren't able to nab that vaunted three-peat.