The IndyCar Long Beach Grand Prix is one of the crown jewels of American motorsport. It’s a weekend where VIP credentials granting access to sponsor suites, afterparties, and industry events are reserved for the who’s who of the racing world. The most exclusive invitation of the weekend, however, is a backyard barbecue at the Dixon residence. The guest list follows one rule: 2 Crew only, and Shirley Dixon approves every invite.
“Mama Shirley”, as she’s affectionately known around Josef Newgarden’s team, hosts the event with her son Greg, the 6-foot-10 Newgarden superfan who has been given the title of the team’s “Official Hype Man.”
Invitations to the first barbecue went out before Shirley agreed to anything. “I was at St. Pete,” Greg said. “And I was going, how cool would it be if all you guys came to my mom’s house in Long Beach and had a barbecue? And they were like, that’s the most amazing thing ever.” By the time he called his mom, the idea had already become a plan. “I’m like, hey, Mom, what would you think if we invited the whole 2 Crew over for a barbecue? And she was like, absolutely not.”
There was one problem, Greg told her, because he had already invited everyone.
