NBCSN special to honor 2017 IndyCar Series champion Newgarden

Poor Newgarden. Due to budget cutbacks he does not even get an Awards banquet to be honored.

Poor Newgarden. Due to IndyCar budget cutbacks he does not even get an Awards banquet to be honored.

When Josef Newgarden became the youngest Indy car champion in more than a decade earlier this month, he accomplished the feat in one of the most competitive Verizon IndyCar Series seasons in memory.

Ten different drivers won in the 17-race season, with seven drivers still mathematically alive for the championship heading into the season finale, the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. Newgarden finished second in the race on Sept. 17 to clinch his first championship, be presented the Astor Challenge Cup and earn the $1 million champion's prize.

Relive the excitement of Newgarden's drive to the title – and the 2017 season as a whole – when NBCSN airs "Verizon IndyCar 2017 Championship Reflection" at 7 p.m. ET Thursday. The one-hour special will recap the thrills and excitement of the entire campaign and go in-depth with Newgarden on what it meant to become the champion at age 26 – in his sixth Verizon IndyCar Series season and first with vaunted Team Penske.

The special will also stream live on INDYCAR's website (IndyCar.com), YouTube page (youtube.com/indycar) and Facebook page (facebook.com/indycar).

Other season award winners will be recognized on the program produced by IMS Productions. The INDYCAR community will honor Newgarden, Team Penske and other award recipients at a special event to kick off the 2018 season on the weekend of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in March.

The complete list of Verizon IndyCar Series season award winners is as follows:

Championship driver (Astor Challenge Cup, $1 million): Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
Jostens Championship Driver (ring worth approximately $10,000): Newgarden
Championship team (Astor Challenge Cup): Team Penske
Championship team manager: Jon Bouslog, Team Penske
Chief mechanic of the year: Vance Welker, Team Penske
Sunoco Diamond Performance ($50,000): Newgarden
Sunoco Rookie of the Year ($50,000): Ed Jones, Dale Coyne Racing
TAG Heuer "Don't Crack Under Pressure" ($25,000): Carlos Munoz, AJ Foyt Racing
PFC "Fast Brake" ($25,000): Newgarden
Verizon P1: Will Power, Team Penske
Second-place championship driver: Simon Pagenaud, Team Penske
Second-place championship team: Team Penske
Third-place championship driver: Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
Third-place championship team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Manufacturer champion: Chevrolet