Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tokyo, September 26, 2019 --- Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is pleased to announce that driver Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, who is sponsored by Hitachi, finished 8th in the last race of the season that took place on September 22, 2019 at Monterey in California, and captured the championship title.
In 2019, Newgarden led the championship standing for most of the season, earning four wins and three poles. He ended the season as the series champion for the second time in his career, following his first championship in 2017. This year’s championship is his first since partnering with Hitachi. As a leader in fuel injection technology and technical partner for INDYCAR racing applications, Hitachi Automotive Systems has helped Team Penske maintain its winning streak.
“It has been a terrific season for Josef (Newgarden) and the No. 2 Hitachi Chevrolet team,” said Penske Corporation Founder and Chairman Roger Penske. “We want to thank everyone at Hitachi for their continued partnership and collaboration with our team. We appreciate everything that Hitachi brings to Team Penske – from their work with Chevrolet on the IndyCar direct fuel injection systems to how their technology helps our teams both on and off the track, as well as their teamwork and support on race weekends with Hitachi personnel and customers. We are proud to carry the Hitachi brand on our race cars and we are so excited to celebrate this championship with everyone at Hitachi.”
“It was awesome for the No. 2 Chevy team to win another championship, and we’re glad we got to do it with Hitachi on board,” said Newgarden. “We had fast cars all season and our performance really spoke to the level of technology we had at our disposal. Partners like Hitachi are so key for a race team, as they can offer a new way to look at data while continuing to utilize their already great technology. We’ve had a relationship with Hitachi at Team Penske for quite some time and it’s a relationship that really benefits both parties. Hitachi has been a huge help with our Chevrolet relationship as well, since they work in tandem to enhance our performance. I’d like to thank everyone at Hitachi, on behalf of everyone at Team Penske, for all that they have done for us this past season, and everything they continue to do.”
“The partnership with Josef and the Penske team is a great example of Hitachi collaboration in action, where we are working together toward a common goal as well as leveraging each other’s strengths and unique expertise,” said Dr. Brice Koch, President & CEO, Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. “Josef and the entire Penske team have done an incredible job this season, leading from the front, and we are proud to see him lift the championship title. Ours is a partnership that has grown stronger each year, producing consistently high quality results and we look forward to seeing that continue. Congratulations to the entire team!”
Hitachi Automotive Systems is proud to continue its dynamic relationship with Team Penske for the ninth-consecutive season, and the familiar Hitachi branding will continue to adorn Newgarden’s No.2 Dallara/Chevrolet for eight of 17 races in the 2020 IndyCar Series. Hitachi Automotive Systems wishes to express our sincere appreciation to everyone for their warm support of Josef Newgarden, sponsored by the Hitachi Group, during the course of this year.
Josef speeding through the circuit.
Josef holding the Astor Cup.
| Date | Place | Race position |
Season ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 10 | ●St. Petersburg, Florida | 1 | 1 |
| March 24 | Austin, Texas | 2 | 1 |
| April 7 | Birmingham, Alabama | 4 | 1 |
| April 14 | ●Long Beach, California | 2 | 1 |
| May 11 | Indianapolis, Indiana | 15 | 1 |
| May 26 | Indianapolis, Indiana | 4 | 2 |
| June 1 | ●Detroit, Michigan | 1 | 1 |
| June 2 | ●Detroit, Michigan | 19 | 1 |
| June 8 | Fort Worth, Texas | 1 | 1 |
| June 23 | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin | 3 | 1 |
| July 14 | ●Toronto (Ontario, Canada) | 4 | 1 |
| July 20 | ●Newton, Iowa | 1 | 1 |
| July 28 | Lexington, Ohio | 14 | 1 |
| August 18 | ●Long Pond, Pennsylvania | 5 | 1 |
| August 24 | Madison, Illinois | 7 | 1 |
| September 1 | ●Portland, Oregon | 5 | 1 |
| September 22 | ●Monterey California | 8 | 1 |
●：Hitachi primary sponsor races (races where Hitachi’s logo was prominently displayed on Newgarden’s car).
Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, and offers a wide range of automotive systems including Powertrain Systems, Chassis Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/
