Frustrated Roger Penske Breaks Silence on Cheating Scandal, Shuts Down “Way Overblown” Drama in 5-Words

While rowdy drivers like Ricky Stenhouse Jr openly ruffle NASCAR’s feathers, Penske drivers do it on the down low. In a tradition that is not new, Roger Penske’s teams have flouted legal boundaries in races multiple times this year already. Beginning with Joey Logano, the Cup driver who used modified webbed gloves for an aerodynamic advantage in Atlanta and was tight-lipped about his penalty.

Similar to the Cup driver’s stealthy maneuvers, some IndyCar drivers tried something similar as well. What’s more, they almost got away with it (note: Roger Penske owns IndyCar). However, when the penalties came, Penske firmly declared that there was no “malicious intent by anyone.” Recently, the Team Penske owner once again exclaimed something along the same lines.

Roger Penske feels the situation is being dragged out

In late April, a shocking disparity surfaced in an IndyCar testing event. All three Team Penske cars revealed an illegal software system installed that allowed the drivers to use the push-to-pass function on starts and restarts. Josef Newgarden has used it three times since the season-opening race, while Scott McLaughlin has used it once in St. Petersburg. Although Will Power claimed he never used it, all three of them were fined $25,000 and docked 10 points. Harsh yet unfair for the rest of the grid, right?

Penske rivals and detractors trumpeted this issue wildly, accusing the team of cheating. However, Roger Penske recently told the Associated Press that his team is solid no matter what. But wait, was he implying that cheating is fine?

The team owner said, “It always bothers you when people take shots at you. But you know something: we have a strong foundation. People know who we are and how we operate. I guess we’ll have to move on. Then Penske offered a 5-word phrase to sum up his frustration: “There’s blood in the water,” adding, “People like to go after you, and I think that’s what happened. I’m fine. I mean, we moved on.”

Zak Brown, head of Arrow-McLaren Racing, still thinks the punishment is too light. Tim Cindric, strategist for Newgarden, received a two-race suspension for overseeing the maneuvers. Brown thought Cindric’s presence at the team’s Laguna Seca win gave the team a “bad look.”

Yet Roger Penske may be justified in calling the cheating scandal “way overblown.” Will Power, who is a veteran driver, is holding two IndyCar Championships and the 2018 Indy 500. On the other hand, Scott McLaughlin, like Shane Van Gisbergen, is a three-time Australian SuperCars champion and two-time IndyCar Rookie of the Year winner. But the third driver is the crown jewel of Roger Penske’s team and is evidently holding up pretty well amidst the cheating fiasco.

Among them all, meanwhile, Penske’s star driver focuses on team unity

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Josef Newgarden has a glittering resume in IndyCar racing, and recently stamped his second consecutive Indy 500 win, battling fiercely with Pato O’Ward and moving past him on the final lap. Additionally, Newgarden is also the current winningest driver in the series and a two-time IndyCar champion. Toppling this top-performing driver from his dominant place would be difficult, as Newgarden is unfazed by the cheating controversy.

On the contrary, the IndyCar champ believes this scandal has brought more unity to Roger Penske’s fold. After his Indy win, Newgarden told AP that he was grateful for making it through the turbulent times. “It’s an experience that it’s got to either break you or tough you up, and for me, that’s all I’ll say about it. We’ve been moving forward. We’ve never worked together more as a group, and I thought that was difficult to do. This is the most tight-knit team I’ve ever seen.”

Evidently, Roger Penske’s drivers are handling their detractors pretty well, even though their team owner feels a bit frustrated.