Man of the people: Josef Newgarden runs into crowd after winning Indy 500

Forget a victory lap – the big winner took a victory leap.

Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden celebrated his win by scaling the track's fence and jumping into a raucous crowd. This was the first Indianapolis 500 win for Newgarden, a 32-year-old Nashville native.

Newgarden secured the first-place finish at the last second, passing leader Marcus Ericsson with a move called the “Dragon.” Immediately after the fancy maneuver, the winner soared into the stands.

Newgarden’s trip to the crowd was well-received, delighting fans both in attendance and online. Commenters commended him for the "boss move" and hailed him an "honorary Hoosier" for the celebration.

Contact Pulliam Fellow Heather Bushman at HBushman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at hmb_1013.