Penske Maintains Indy 500 Team for Detroit Grand Prix

Team Penske is gearing up for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix with a bit of an unusual approach. They’re sticking with the same temporary crew members who worked on their cars during the recent Indianapolis 500.

This move comes because there’s barely any time between the two events, and the Detroit weekend brings the double challenge of both IndyCar and IMSA. It’s a lot to juggle, honestly.

Team Penske’s Strategy for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

Penske decided to keep the same temporary additions on their timing stands for Detroit as they used at Indy. With the schedule so tight, it just made sense to keep things consistent and try to get the best out of both the IndyCar and IMSA events.

The three NTT IndyCar Series entries—Nos. 2, 3, and 12—will have the same crew setups they had at the 500. Familiar faces, familiar roles.

The Crew Lineup

Here’s how the crew shakes out for each car:

• No. 2 car, Josef Newgarden: Raul Prados (race engineer), Luke Mason (race strategist)
• No. 3 car, Scott McLaughlin: Malcolm Finch (race engineer), Ben Bretzman (race strategist)
• No. 12 car, Will Power: David Faustino (race engineer), Jonathan Diuguid (race strategist)

They didn’t just pick these people out of a hat. Most of the stand-in crew actually come from the Porsche Penske Motorsport IMSA GTP program. Mixing talent from different programs might just give them an edge, or at least keep things running smoothly during such a packed weekend.

The Role of Full-Time IndyCar Race Engineers

The full-time IndyCar race engineers—Mason, Bretzman, and Faustino—won’t just stick to their usual jobs. On Friday and Saturday, they’ll do their regular thing. Then, for Sunday’s 100-lap race, they’ll switch over to race strategist roles.

Meanwhile, once Saturday’s 100-minute IMSA race wraps up, Prados and Diuguid from the IMSA side will take over engineering duties. It’s a bit of a relay, honestly.

Unresolved Leadership Changes

There’s still a big question mark over at Penske when it comes to leadership. They haven’t named full-time replacements for the trio who recently left: Tim Cindric, Ron Ruzewski, and Kyle Moyer.

This leadership gap adds another layer of complication. Still, Penske seems focused on keeping things steady and making the best of a tricky situation.

Conclusion

Team Penske decided to stick with the same temporary crew for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. That move really shows how the team adapts and stays focused on performance, even when things get hectic.

They’re pulling in people from both IndyCar and IMSA. It’s a smart way to handle a packed race weekend, though I wonder if it’ll pay off the way they hope.

If you want all the nitty-gritty details about Penske’s crew and strategy, check out the full article on RACER here.