BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – IndyCar owner Roger Penske called all IndyCar owners and team principals together for an unscheduled meeting Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park.
Penske called the meeting because on Wednesday, April 24 IndyCar officials disqualified Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race winner Josef Newgarden of Team Penske. Also, teammate and third-place finisher Scott McLaughlin was disqualified and teammate Will Power was penalized after it was determined that Team Penske had manipulated and illegally used the push-to-pass system at St. Petersburg in the season-opening race on March 10.
Penske owns both IndyCar and Team Penske.
IndyCar team owners were summoned to Penske’s office motorhome in the paddock at Barber Motorsports Park for a meeting that began 30 minutes before IndyCar’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix qualification session on Saturday. That is Penske’s IndyCar office motorhome. Another one, known as “RP-1" is used for Team Penske business and is located next to the team’s paddock area.
Many of the team owners scrambled out of the meeting as Saturday’s qualifications began.
AJ Foyt Racing president Larry Foyt was the first to leave because he was on the radio with his two drivers for qualifications.
Five minutes later, the rest of the team owners exited the motorhome with very little detail of what was said in the meeting with the 87-year-old Penske.
“It went OK,” Andretti Global team owner Michael Andretti told NBCSports.com. “We didn’t really learn a lot, but it was a good talking session among everybody.”
After qualifications ended, Arrow McLaren team principal Gavin Ward gave NBCSports.com more information about the meeting with Penske, although he would not go into great detail on what was said.
“I think it was appreciated, but it’s going to take a little more conversation to get everyone in the series and teams aligned into what they want to see, but the dialogue was appreciated,” Ward told NBCSports.com. “The tone of the meeting was what you might expect. It’s best to settle those things behind closed doors.
“I don’t feel much different, but I was pretty quickly into qualification mode because this whole situation was a distraction and we are trying to remain in the championship fight.
“Some things are believable and other things that have come out of that camp aren’t. The messaging is confusing. I don’t know how the team could have gotten to warmup at Long Beach and not realized what they were doing was contrary to the rules. I’m not saying it was impossible, I just don’t know how.
“Just own it and move on.”
As the team principal, Ward was the highest ranking Arrow McLaren official at Barber Motorsports Park. Team owner Zak Brown was at the Formula E race at Monaco, but gave his thoughts on the week from afar.
“I’m comfortable with that but ended up disappointed in the various excuses or explanations that the team and drivers have made because they don’t make a lot of sense,” Brown said from Monaco. “I think champion drivers know exactly what the rules are, they know exactly what they have in the car.
“A team of that caliber to have an oversight of that magnitude doesn’t seem right. The team and the drivers are too good to say we didn’t know the rules, we didn’t know it was there, it was an oversight…
“None of that I think stacks up and when something like that happens, I think you just need to own it.”
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team co-owner Bobby Rahal gave his initial thoughts on meeting with Penske.
“It was a good talk,” Rahal told NBCSports.com. “It’s always good to hear from the boss.
“Absolutely.”
After qualifications, NBCSports.com met up with Rahal for more information about the meeting. Although the IndyCar team owner won’t go into any specific details, he believed it was an important step for Penske to take.
“It was a very positive meeting,” Rahal told NBCSports.com. “It was not contentious.
“We very much appreciate having the meeting.”
When team owner Chip Ganassi was asked about the meeting, his response was, “What meeting?” with a smile. “I don’t know what you are talking about.
“C’mon, you know I can’t say anything.”
One team owner that was involved in the meeting confirmed the subject of a proposed charter system was discussed in the meeting after Penske had admitted his disappointment in the events that led to Team Penske’s disqualification with the push to pass scandal.
Mike Hull is Chip Ganassi Racing managing director and was not involved in the meeting, but shared his thoughts on what has happened in IndyCar.
“For Roger Penske, this is a wake-up call for him,” Hull told NBCSports.com. “He can take the initiative to make things better in terms of the sanctioning office, how they administer things, how they manage things and how they do technical things.
“They should take this as a wake-up call and make it better for all of us.”
“Personally, I think they need to look at going forward how to make things better for IndyCar because they need to do that, whatever it takes. Roger Penske is the person who can do that. Let’s leave it in his hands and things will work out because he will make things better.
“Look at the results. If it’s simply people winning races, it seems to be an equal battle. All the teams have a chance to win and a lot of them have won, so Roger Penske’s team isn’t favored in any way, whatsoever.”
Ed Carpenter of Ed Carpenter Racing called it a “private conversation that we all appreciated and we’ll get on with the current season.
“It’s obvious what we were talking about in there but what we talked about in there will remain in there from my standpoint will remain in there. I can’t give you more.
“We all appreciate him (Penske) gathering us together.”
. @IndyCar team owners enter a meeting with series owner Roger Penske at @BarberMotorPark pic.twitter.com/k8Y7t4QmYl
— Bruce Martin (@BruceMartin_500) April 27, 2024
Penske is in the unique position of owning both IndyCar and Team Penske, the IndyCar Series team that was penalized by IndyCar officials for the push-to-pass manipulation. His IndyCar team has accepted the penalty and will not appeal.
It was the first disqualification for an IndyCar Series race winner since Al Unser, Jr. at Portland in June 1995. Team Penske appealed that decision 29 years ago and Unser got the victory back after the 1995 season concluded.
Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park, Penske played the dual roles of IndyCar Series owner and Team Penske owner, so Team Penske president Tim Cindric could concentrate on his three drivers preparing for qualifications including Newgarden, McLaughlin and Power.
“I wasn’t part of that meeting, but that’s the way he operates,” Cindric told NBCSports.com. “In adversity, you find out who everybody really is.”
