Perhaps the mainstream public-at-large isn’t aware of Josef Newgarden and/or Ryan Eversley yet. But given these two’s outreach and social media presence, plus their popularity within their respective series’ paddocks, they should be.
Both have birthdays today. Newgarden turns 23, Eversley 30, and both seek even bigger 2014s after each made a bigger name for themselves with some of their 2013 efforts.
Newgarden completed his second season in IndyCar with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, and was one of the year’s most improved drivers. Four top-five finishes also included a career-best second place in Baltimore, his first podium finish.
Off the track, Newgarden’s quirky persona carried over when he was featured prominently in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s attempt at the “Harlem Shake” fad in February and March (yes, it’s hard to believe that was a fad, and that it was this calendar year). Additionally, Newgarden raised awareness for animal cruelty for a campaign called “Show Your Soft Side” in Baltimore, and was so struck by the cat he did a photo shoot with that he adopted it.
Newgarden made his intro to IndyCar racing – at least in the social media realm – with a series of “Incognito” videos during 2012.
Eversley, meanwhile co-drove with Kyle Gimple to finish second in the ST class of the 2013 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, in the Compass360 Racing team’s No. 75 Honda Civic Si. The pair failed to win but had several podium finishes, and was only just denied the title at the last race of the season. He also finished on the podium in the GX class at this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, co-driving a BGB Motorsports-entered Porsche Cayman.
Where Eversley’s star rose was on Vine. No driver mastered the series of six-second video loops better (Newgarden did a few of these too, but not to Eversley’s frequency) and it helped to put him on the map. One such example is below, with a Lego version of Eversley’s firesuit walking across a chopsticks-made bridge.
Eversley also had a starring role in two of the Taylor brothers’ music videos, culminating in the “you have to have seen this if you’re in racing” “Jordan Loves Stickers.” He took over the Continental Tire social media channels for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas in November, as well.
But where Eversley has really stood out has been in his raising awareness for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, an organization that seeks to find a cure for individuals (mainly children) living with neurofibromatosis (NF). NF causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and can lead to blindness, bone abnormalities, cancer, deafness, disfigurement, learning disabilities, and excruciating and disabling pain. As a way to do so, Eversley has sought votes via Eagle Rare Life to help raise money for that.
Good dudes, good drivers, and guys who are working both to raise awareness for their sport and for good causes – fitting they share a birthday.
