Meet Team Penske’s Caitlyn Brown, the front left mechanic for Josef Newgarden’s IndyCar. She became the first full-time female crew member to go over the wall for Team Penske. Brown made history in 2023, becoming the first female crew member to win the Indy 500 with Newgarden. The team repeated history in 2024, scoring back-to-back Indy 500 wins.
Pit Debrief spoke exclusively to Caitlyn Brown about her journey to IndyCar and women’s representation in the sport.
Caitlyn Brown’s entry to IndyCar with Team Penske
While she always had her sights set on IndyCar, Brown began her motorsports journey with Team Penske in NASCAR.
“I grew up in and around racing and I just kind of had the passion for it. Originally, NASCAR was my goal. I always thought IndyCar would be something that wasn’t attainable for me, just because I didn’t see as many women around.
“It’s like they always say, you see it, you can be it. And I saw females in NASCAR. There was a few of them, but I saw them. I thought, ‘Okay, that’s something I can do. That’s a goal I could reach.’ So I did that route and started at Team Penske in 2019.
“When I started there, I knew they had the IndyCar team. They had a sports car team. And I was like, ‘well, there’s many opportunities in this one building alone. If I ever wanted to go that route, that opportunity is now there for me.'”
Brown got her first shot at IndyCar with Paretta Autosport, the first predominantly-female team to compete at the Indy 500.
“In 2021, when Paretta Autosport had their alliance with Team Penske at the Indy 500, that was kind of my door into IndyCar. That was the first time I really got to experience it up front and I fell in love with it.
“I knew that’s what I wanted to do. You’re more hands-on, more involved with the car, from the shop to the track. You’re a part of all of it. And so I pushed and pushed to get pushed to that side of the building, and eventually they made it happen for me. So that was my way into IndyCar.”
Making history in IndyCar: The first female crew member to win the Indy 500
Brown became the first crew member to win the Indy 500 with Josef Newgarden and Team Penske in 2023. Then, the team did it again in 2024.
“Sometimes it’s still hard to believe that I was the first female over-the-wall for Team Penske in any of their series. And then to go and win the Indy 500 in 2023 with them and be the first over-the-wall female for not only Team Penske, but in the history of the Indy 500.
“It’s crazy to think that in 108 years, to be able to make history at a place that’s so full of history — It’s really cool and humbling.“
Brown added, “It’s something that I don’t brag about it because I don’t like to. But it is something where I’m like, ‘that was actually really cool.'”
Caitlyn Brown on female visibility in IndyCar
While Brown stated that IndyCar had initially felt unattainable, it didn’t stop her from pursuing her career. She acknowledged that her initial perception of the sport was one that lacked female visibility.
However, these perceptions were challenged once she entered IndyCar and saw fellow women working in the paddock. She stated, “At the end of the day, I had parents that were always like, ‘Do whatever you want, you can do it.’ So I never really doubted that part. But it is still one of those things where if you don’t see it, it’s like, can you do it?
“So once I came to the IndyCar side and I saw just how many women there actually were in the paddocks, like, ‘Yeah, for sure, I can do this.’ So it kind of was a reassurance thing, too, as well.”
How can we increase female representation in motorsports like IndyCar?
Brown spoke about the importance of teaching children about the different opportunities in IndyCar.
“I think [IndyCar does] a really good job with trying to bring in young kids and kids from schools. There’s so many different avenues and positions that you can have in racing that you don’t have to be hands-on if you don’t want to. You can be an engineer, you can be a partnership person, you can do anything within the series. There’s so many jobs, and it’s definitely something that I think is growing.
“Even just the few years that I’ve been a part of the IndyCar paddock, I’ve seen it. You can see more kids are getting interested in the STEM side of things. They’re seeing these racing movies in the movie theatre. They’re showing up to the racetrack, never having gone to the racetrack before, but saying, ‘Yeah, I’m interested in that.’ It’s really cool to see.”
It’s not just children getting into motorsports — There has also been a steady increase in interest from women. In a survey conducted by Motorsport Network, 50% of Gen Z respondents were female. In fact, female respondents increased from 18% in 2021 to 25% in 2025.
Brown also noticed an increase in women attending IndyCar races, explaining,“You go back to some places, and you’re like, ‘Okay, there’s a lot more women showing up.’
“I’m a firm believer that women bring the most attention to things, and they’re going to be the biggest fans and supporters. So it’s cool to see because you see it in all the groups that gather up to do meet-ups at tracks and stuff like that. That’s the kind of thing that grows the sport, and I think women will play a big role in that.”
Caitlyn Brown’s advice for women interesting in pursuing a career in IndyCar
When asked about advice she’d give to young women interested in pursuing a career in motorsports, Brown responded, “My advice would be don’t let anything hold you back. The car doesn’t know who or what is working on it. You just have to put in the effort, put in the work, and show up with a great attitude. People are going to see that, and they’re going to respect that, and they’re going to want you on their car.”
