Q: Are there some cracks in the wall at Team Penske? First there was the PTP issue, which I found unlike what we’d expect from the team in the first place, and compounded by the different explanations. Subsequently the teammates have raced hard, as I would expect, but have not closed ranks publicly as they historically might have.
Newgarden and McLaughlin’s bromance (however real or manufactured it might have been) imploded. Josef seems to have a new, much harder approach and seems very tight-lipped in public. It seems as if something in his personal and/or professional life may have changed in some dramatic fashion.
It’s perhaps unfair to take aim at someone with as much success as Tim Cindric has had, but it also seems possible to draw a line from Roger’s purchase of the series and subsequent distancing from the team to these events. Do you see this stemming from Newgarden’s free agency?
Jack
MP: Roger isn’t involved in the same day-to-day way at the races, but please do not think he’s stepped back from the team between events. As many have chronicled this season, Josef has tightened his inner circle, cut out the things he felt were distracting or unnecessary, and that’s resulted in a more focused and isolated work environment of his choosing. He’s beloved by his No. 2 Chevy crew, and has the full support of the team’s leadership. Those two things aren’t new.
What is new, over the last four or five years, is an ongoing change from the happy-go-lucky kid we got to known when he was making waves in Indy Lights, and in the first stage of his IndyCar career — and also in his first couple of seasons with Penske — to an adult with a family and lots of success and attention who’s changed and evolved into being his own man. And that man isn’t the same once who we got to know which, honestly, is fairly common. If anything, it would be strange for 2015 Josef to be the same guy in 2024.
With all that said, he’s gone from Penske newbie racing alongside legends and champions where he knew his place to the best driver on the team, to the team leader, to the longstanding leader who’s chosen to direct his energies more into the No. 2 program than anything else. That’s the same thing Pato O’Ward does at Arrow McLaren and Colton Herta does at Andretti Global; great guys, but they aren’t happy when they get beaten by a teammate.
On Cindric, as long as it isn’t hurting the team, it’s not incumbent upon him to change Josef’s personality or approach to racing. Newgarden isn’t the wide-eyed person who showed up in 2017 with two race wins to his credit. He’s Penske’s modern equivalent of a Helio Castroneves or Rick Mears — always fighting for big wins and championships — and if he’s become more selfish over the years, he’s earned the right.
Q: I was at WWTR and like to know why Josef Newgarden was not penalized for putting his car in gear/spinning his tires before the jack dropped, and for the slow restart? It was so slow I didn’t think the race went green, and I was sitting right there.
Lately Josef seems to be immune from being penalized. It appears that Penske owning the series has some advantages; the St. Petersburg race notwithstanding.
Kathy Melkey
MP: We covered off the first two items above. I had a lot of folks from the paddock express the same sentiment on the last part, which isn’t new. But yes, if it’s a clear-cut item like the cheating at St. Pete, IndyCar makes a clear-cut decision, like disqualifying the offending Penske drivers. And to your point, if it’s anything with a bit of wiggle room when a Penske driver is in a position to win, there’s a growing belief that IndyCar will swallow the referee’s whistle. I don’t see how this belief will change unless IndyCar rules against a Penske driver when the race is on the line and a penalty is awarded for whatever the infraction might be.
Q: To my untrained eye Newgarden might have maintained a consistent (slow) speed for the (late) restart that caused a big mess. Any word from race control on the telemetry to validate that? On a related note, what would have caused a penalty? Maybe technically there wasn’t reason for one, but that sure looked like one.
Ryan, West Michigan
MP: Per the series in our call, Newgarden’s throttle data was reviewed after the race and no irregularities were found. Failing to maintain a consistent pace would be grounds for a penalty. Power’s rage and Rossi’s launch created some strong feelings against Newgarden. Josef is more than capable of putting on the back hat, but I can’t find it here.
Q: Why does the IndyCar app not have the leaders circle points standings? Just discovered they have the rookie championship, manufacturer championship, even the pit stop standings, but not the leaders circle, which is actually quite useful for fans at this time of year.
Paul, Glasgow, Scotland
MP: I don’t know, but I rely on the app for almost nothing, so I’m not the guy to ask. I might open it twice a year. The Wikipedia page for IndyCar’s current season(s) is a delightful resource. Give it a try.
Q: Whatever happened to the oval alternate tires? I know they tested them out at Gateway last year but haven’t seen them return for this year’s ovals.
Michael, Halifax, Canada
MP: There wasn’t enough of a difference to the primary tires to warrant a continuation.
Q: What’s up with the Penske drivers bullying Lil’ Dave? The last two races, Power and McLaughlin have gotten into his face post-race, screaming and yelling. Whether Malukas deserved it or not, this type of behavior is unacceptable from two senior drivers in the series. Race fans grow up idolizing drivers like the ones at Team Penske. I’m sure David was no different as a young kid climbing the ladder series. And then he makes it to the big league only to get verbally abused by his heroes. How would you feel if this was you?
Bob Gray, Canoga Park
MP: Definitely a jerk move by Power in the moment. Between barking at Malukas outside of IndyCar Medical to telling NBC pit reporter Dillon Welch to ‘**** OFF’ when he asked for a post restart crash interview to flipping off pace car driver Oriol Servia, it wasn’t a day of model behavior for DJ Willy P. But after the race, he watched the replay of the incident, realized he was at fault, and called Malukas to apologize. He and Newgarden were on a boat together on Monday, wake surfing and having fun. Power’s explosive responses — and I realize they aren’t befitting of a role model — will be missed by me when he’s gone.