Josef Newgarden will start eighth on the grid in tomorrow’s Milwaukee IndyFest, the same position he finished in last weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway.

The 22-year-old driver for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing (SFHR), who fell out of last year’s Milwaukee Mile on lap 48 due to a mechanical issue, qualified for the 2013 race with a two-lap average speed of 169.492 mph.

“It felt good out there,” Newgarden said. “We maximized what we could for today and I think we have an even better car for the race tomorrow, and that’s when it counts. I’m excited for Saturday.”

Newgarden, driving the No. 67 SFHR Direct Supply/Dallara/Honda/Firestone car, was third fastest in today’s first practice session and finished with the eighth fastest overall speed around the 1-mile oval after completing both practices.

“I think we learned a lot about our racecar in practice,” he said. “We tuned it and made it better from our starting package, which was already good. We should be really strong for the race.”

Newgarden is sporting a blue and black Direct Supply firesuit this weekend, representing the Milwaukee-based company who is sponsoring SFHR for the 250-lap race.

“Milwaukee is Direct Supply’s home base,” Newgarden said. “They love IndyCar racing, and they’re very passionate. They help Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in everything we do, so we have a little extra incentive to do great this weekend for not only them, but also for our team.”

Saturday’s eighth place starting position is Newgarden’s second top-10 qualifying spot on the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule.

The Milwaukee IndyFest will air live on NBC Sports Network on Saturday, June 15 at 3 p.m. ET. For all of the latest updates from the No. 67 car, follow @SFHRindy on Twitter and Instagram.