Team Penske’s sheriff is back on pit lane. That’s the nickname Josef Newgarden gave his former crew chief Travis Law — “The Sheriff” — while they were winning races and a championship together through the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.
Their chemistry brought immense personal and professional success to the organization; at the time of Law’s exit from the No. 2 Chevy program, 18 of Newgarden’s 25 IndyCar victories had been produced during their time together.
After a new managerial role opened up for Law (pictured above) in the Porsche Penske Motorsport IMSA GTP program that debuted in 2023, he shifted into his current position as PPM’s competition director, but he’s back for a one-off return as Newgarden’s chief mechanic at Mid-Ohio for the most positive of reasons.
Law’s replacement on the No. 2 Chevy, Chad Gordon, is away from Mid-Ohio this weekend as he and his wife have welcomed a baby into the world, and with the need for an assist during a quiet weekend for IMSA, Law stepped up to temporarily fill Gordon’s shoes.
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“It is great to hear that Chad and his wife have a happy, healthy new addition to their family,” Newgarden told RACER. “It speaks to the depth we have tried to build over the years that Chad can take some time to do his job as a father and the team will not miss a beat.
“Travis is obviously no stranger to IndyCar, and he has been a key member of this No. 2 Chevy team in the past. He has certainly done a tremendous job over the last two years in building up the sports car team. I think he enjoys being back for a weekend, and we certainly like having someone of his caliber that we can bring in.”