Q: Did other teams testing the hybrid bypass the push to pass too? That would make a difference to me. If they did then I can accept Penske’s explanation, but if not I am skeptical.
Geoff Branagh
MP: Four main teams conducted hybrid testing where the ECUs allowed full-time use of P2P. Arrow McLaren, Andretti Global, and Chip Ganassi Racing all managed to make sure the hybrid software configuration on their test cars’ central logger unit (CLU) was not loaded into their 11 combined race cars that arrived at St. Pete.
Also, most teams, I’m told, do not manipulate the CLU code to give the ECU the all-day green light to give P2P. They use a beacon system, just as IndyCar does at the races, to send a signal to open P2P. I’ve had more than one high-level IndyCar data engineer (who are responsible for working with the CLU) tell me Penske’s alleged methods of making P2P work at the test are not the standard practice.
Q: Like Colton Herta said, everybody knows the P2P rules. Hell, everyone watching on TV knows the rules. The announcers usually tell us when drivers are “on the button” and we always know how much P2P remains. How was this hidden or unknown on the restarts?
TJ Spitzmiller, Parrish, FL
MP: A possible answer, while the race is live: It’s not something I’d think to look at, and per Cindric in our call, they aren’t looking at the P2P countdown number on timing and scoring, because it’s not active on restarts. At least through Long Beach. I bet every team other than Penske had someone welded to the T&S screen, filming with their phones, watching for any P2P countdown irregularities on restarts.
Q: If an IndyCar driver “reflexively” pushed the P2P button (expecting it to be inactive), and it worked anyway, wouldn’t they feel it?
Don, Estero, FL
MP: Yes. Newgarden admitted to knowing it was on and feeling the extra power the three times he used it illegally.
Q: Your interview with Tim Cindric has left more questions than answers in my mind. The P2P programming was a carryover from the August 2023 Sebring test, yet according to Penske and IndyCar it was not used in any of the remaining 2023 events. So how does it suddenly reappear on the cars for the St. Pete race? I wonder if the P2P time used by Penske on restarts at St. Pete was not being logged since IndyCar had the button disabled? This might explain why nobody in race control caught it. This could have given the Penske drivers the old “unfair advantage” of 200+ seconds of P2P during the race.
Ed Davis, Plain City, OH
MP: I listened to an impassioned explanation from one of the paddock’s most successful leaders last weekend about how tricking the P2P system to be used on ovals, to work before and after the allotted 150-200s has been consumed, and other methods of P2P rule bypassing has been done. It makes me think P2P needs to go, because it sounded like it has been an area of exploit for a while.
Q: Most of us love to hate success and root for underdogs, therefore, I am not a Penske team or driver fan. As the software scandal was coming to light, I wanted Penske and their drivers to pay a bigger price than IndyCar was levying and hoping IndyCar would go back and dig as deep as possible for any potential P2P issues over the last few years. I was rooting for one of IndyCar’s most successful teams to be severely punished beyond the initial announcement.
After watching Josef Newgarden’s presser, I am extremely impressed at his adult approach to what happened and willingness to take ultimate responsibility. I now want IndyCar to move on and all teams to be aware that cheating or rule breaking would be met with zero tolerance.
In retrospect, I like to be forgiven for my mistakes and don’t know why I wasn’t willing to give it. After all, it’s just sports, right?
Kris Leach, Three Rivers, MI
MP: It is. But we also want to know what we’re looking at isn’t cheap or fake — if it’s a true sport, that it isn’t an orchestrated deal like the WWE. This Penske debacle has raised those concerns, and all aspects of the team’s recent success have been cast under a spotlight for illegalities.
My issue with the penalties is they were of the obvious variety. A team cheats, gets caught, gets disqualified, loses points, loses money. That’s a by-the-book response that’s entirely predictable in any sport.
What IndyCar didn’t do was show us they’re serious about sending a message, in light of which team this was and who owns it, by doing suspensions, race bans, or outright exclusions for the rest of the year. This wasn’t an illegality that helped the team to place fifth at St. Pete. It was used to win the race by a mile. If you want to show the other teams, and their sponsors, and the manufacturers, and your broadcasters, that this is the most serious offense that can be committed, do more than the predictable response.
The message here is: If you get caught cheating, we’ll take the win away from you and charge a nominal fine. Hell, if that’s the only risk, it seems like the smartest move is to cheat until — and if — you get caught.
Q: I wish to divert your attention momentarily from the scandal to delve into two specific aspects related to Penske’s performance at the recent Long Beach Grand Prix.
Firstly, let’s address the trials faced by Will Power and his team during practice. As you’re aware, Power encountered adversity during practice sessions, finding himself in the unfortunate position of kissing the wall not once, but twice. Understandably, such incidents can rattle the resolve of any team. My query is twofold: amidst the setbacks, do the teams harbor frustration, or do they maintain a stoic resolve, appreciating Power’s relentless pursuit of perfection in mastering the new corner setup?
My second inquiry pertains to Power’s race day strategy. Despite demonstrating formidable pace in both practice and qualifying, Power found himself tasked with a fuel-saving strategy during the race. This decision seems paradoxical, given the undeniable speed exhibited by Power and his car. One can’t help but wonder: does such a strategy induce frustration in drivers, knowing they possess a potent weapon beneath them yet are constrained from unleashing its full potential?
Mike, Utah
MP: All depends on the team and driver. If it’s Power, that guy’s golden. If it’s a dud on a bad team and you’re changing bent suspension and broken bodywork for the ninth time this month, it kills your spirit. I’ve been in both situations with a driver we’d do anything for, and one or two others who made the season miserable. On the frustration, yes, of course. Purebreds aren’t meant to trot.