Josef Newgarden Receives 2026 Corvette ZR1 Through R8C Delivery at the National Corvette Museum
2023 Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden visited the National Corvette Museum this week to take delivery of his 2026 Corvette ZR1 through the Museum’s R8C Delivery program. The two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion and Team Penske driver accepted the handoff on Corvette Boulevard, where thousands of Corvette owners have marked the start of their own driving legacy.
The R8C Delivery program places each new Corvette owner into the history of the brand by making the Museum part of their first day behind the wheel. The process includes a guided orientation with a Corvette delivery team member, an in-depth vehicle review, and an official presentation on the Museum floor. Owners receive a personalized plaque and one-year Museum membership as part of the experience.
For Newgarden, a driver known for his focus on balance, braking, and mid-corner precision, the ZR1 arrives with those same principles built into its engineering. The 2026 ZR1 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.5L DOHC V8. It shares its architecture with the naturally aspirated flat-plane LT6 found in the Z06 but adds twin turbochargers to deliver the most powerful Corvette engine ever offered from the factory. The ZR1 also features a carbon fiber aero system, available carbon-ceramic brakes, and a chassis calibrated for road course stability and high-speed control.
Newgarden’s visit to the Museum follows a long tradition of performance drivers engaging with the Corvette brand—not as a sponsorship, but as a shared understanding of how engineering, precision, and legacy connect on the road.
For the National Corvette Museum, the R8C program represents more than a delivery. It is a curated moment that joins owners to the larger story of America’s Sports Car. Each vehicle delivered on Corvette Boulevard becomes part of the Museum’s living mission: to preserve, educate, and celebrate the legacy of Corvette.
Newgarden’s delivery was completed in Bowling Green, Kentucky—just one mile from the GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant where every Corvette has been built since 1981.
To learn more about the R8C Delivery Program or schedule your own Museum delivery, visit www.corvettemuseum.org/r8c-delivery/.
