Josef Newgarden. Photo courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series.

INDIANAPOLIS _ Two-time/reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden celebrated Southwest Airlines’ first nonstop flight from Indianapolis to Nashville Thursday, when he unveiled the ticket for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis International Airport (IND).

Newgarden earned his second victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” last May and became just the sixth driver to win the Indy 500 in consecutive years. Newgarden wheeled the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet to the back-to-back victory with a last-lap pass of Pato O’Ward and his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. O’Ward is a native of Mexico with family ties to San Antonio.

One of the many perks earned by the winner is unveiling the ticket for the following year’s race. Featuring the winning driver on the next year’s 500 ticket dates to Mauri Rose’s appearance in 1948.

Nashville native Newgarden pushed a button to unveil a larger-than-life digital rendering of the colorful ticket in Civic Plaza, IND’s community gathering area. From there, Newgarden and INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles engaged with Southwest passengers and race fans at the gate as they boarded the flight from Indianapolis to Nashville, taking the celebration to Newgarden’s hometown.

Designed in-house by Senior Art Director Mandy Walsh, the ticket celebrates the back-to-back wins with full-color images, including Newgarden’s Victory Podium ceremonies and his almost identical liveries. Vibrant images from 2024 are shadowed by similar images from 2023.

“It’s very cool to be here in the Indianapolis International Airport,” said Newgarden, a two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion for team-owner Roger S. Penske. “Indiana and Tennessee are my two homes, so the fact we have the Indianapolis 500 in Indiana and the (NTT IndyCar Series) championship finale in Tennessee is a great parallel. To top it all off is seeing this beautiful ticket from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500. It’s an incredible-looking ticket.

“To see my likeness on there, to see our team represented, it’s a very special feeling. You don’t know if that day will ever come when you drive into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The fact we’ve been able to pull it off twice, back-to-back, and that it’s been celebrated on this ticket, I’m super, super-thankful.”

Upon their arrival in Nashville, Newgarden and Boles visitedIndianapolis 500 ticketholders and media and concluded the day with a Fan Event at Big Machine Distillery and Tavern, where the 2025 Indianapolis 500 ticket and iconic Borg-Warner Trophy were on display. Newgarden and Boles also met with fans and conducted a brief question-and-answer session.

Based at Love Field in Dallas, Southwest Airlines operates as a low-cost carrier in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Newgarden will attempt to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s on Sunday, May 25, during the 109th Indianapolis presented by Gainbridge at IMS. Live coverage will start at 10 a.m. (EDT) on FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Tickets for the Indy 500 and all Month of May activities are on sale at IMS.com, or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700 or by visiting the ticket office.