Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Australian driver Will Power says Team Penske is ready to move forward from the scandal which led to the sacking of three senior executives just days away from Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 showpiece. Penske’s preparations for this weekend’s event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the jewel in the crown of the IndyCar season, were thrown into chaos on Wednesday as news of the scandal emerged.
Team president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and general manager Kyle Moyer were all dismissed after it emerged that the cars of Josef Newgarden and Power were found to have been equipped with an illegally modified spec part. It is the second time in as many seasons that Penske has fallen foul of IndyCar regulations. Last year, Newgarden and teammate Scott McLaughlin were disqualified from the season-opening race at St. Petersburg, Florida, for violating ‘Push to Pass’ parameters. The latest case is particularly embarrassing for team owner Roger Penske, who is also the owner of the IndyCar Series as well as this weekend’s Indy 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Power admitted on Thursday that the sackings of Cindric, Ruzewski, and Moyer had come as a shock, insisting that the infraction which landed the team in disciplinary trouble again had been “minor.” “It’s kind of a shock and a pity,” Power said of the dismissals. “They’re all extremely good at their job. I guess Roger had to make a tough decision, but I can tell you these were very credible people. They really were. As you know, the infraction was very minor. It wasn’t a performance gain.”
Power, though, said while unsettling, Team Penske was now firmly focused on a strong challenge at the Indy 500, believing the scandal could give remaining team members a greater sense of purpose. “It just kind of makes you lock in,” Power said. “Everyone is just locked in on the job. People have to step up now because we’re missing some key individuals, and that can be motivating for people. You get the best out of people in those situations. No one is ever ready for that. That’s why competition is so good. I think that’s what always gets the best out of me, is tough situations. You see how good you really are.”
Power, 44, a two-time IndyCar Series champion and a winner of the Indy 500 in 2018, said he planned to lead by example this weekend, adamant that the scandal would not distract him from the task in hand. “I’ve been around long enough to shut that stuff out and still focus on the thing that you’re here to do, and that’s to get the absolute most out of the car,” Power told reporters. “You can’t be distracted by all this. My main focus is Sunday, and that’s true. I’m not too swept up in it. I’ve got plenty of time after the race to think about that, but we’re coming up on the biggest race of the year for us.”
Being the driver, you need to show that this is not affecting you, and you’re very focused on the job at hand, and I am. I haven’t allowed too much emotional stress to take away energy that I need on Sunday. The Aussie veteran meanwhile brushed off suggestions that Team Penske might be motivated by a sense of grievance in Sunday’s race amid allegations that other teams tipped off IndyCar authorities about the illegal modifications. “I just want to do a good job for all the guys on the team on Sunday. That’s sort of the main focus — not really out to get anyone,” Power said. “We’re all very motivated to have a good day, sort of try to put this stuff behind us. News cycles move pretty quick, so if you can throw a win in there, that would certainly be a good way to move forward.”
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