A range of results for Team Penske after the Long Beach GP. Will Power was again the best performing driver for the Captain with fifth place, finishing one place ahead of Scott McLaughlin. Josef Newgarden however found himself at the bottom of the table, after issues hampered his Dallara-Chevy.
Power on the rise
Once again Will Power made good progress through the field. Like at the Thermal Club he started out of position for a Penske. But despite starting to feel sick, the Ozzy managed to climb from 13th to fifth.
“Very good day. Very good day,” Power started off his review. “Just methodically getting to it, but it was methodical. I was driving very hard, biding my time, used up the perfect amount of push-to-pass in the race to finish it off on the last pass.
“Love those sorts of days. I didn’t feel very good, to be honest. Felt sick. I could feel myself getting achy in the car but drove the crap out of it.
“Man, we have a good Verizon Chevy, we just have to start at the front. On days like this, get the points. Pretty cool we got a top five.”
Strategy failed to work for McLaughlin
Scott McLaughlin started a decent sixth, the highest qualified Penske at the Long Beach GP. Unfortunately, the strategy did not play out, meaning he would finish the day where he started.
“We were just locked out a little bit there early,” the Kiwi reflects. “And then getting caught up with some guys that came out of pit sequences and stuff like that. So, lost some track position where we were in a really good spot at the start, but it is what it is.
“I mean, that was the most solid race I’ve had at Long Beach for a long time. So, it’s a P6 for me. I got a little bit of work before we come back here next year to be better.
“I feel like I’ve always had a couple of bad results to start the year. So, if we go to Barber with a formula we’ve had in the past, and have a win, we’ll get ourselves right back in it and see where we’re at. It’s like big focus. I can’t wait for it. Yeah, we’re ready for that place.”
“Punch in the gut” for Newgarden
Starting from 15th the outlook wasn’t to great for Josef Newgarden, but with a very early pit stop Penske hoped to gain him a few positions in the Long Beach GP. Unfortunately, malfunctioning seatbelts forced him to pit twice in the final pit stop sequence, dropping the two-time champ to last.
“That was one of the best cars I’ve had at Long Beach, no doubt and it is terrible to be talking about finishing in last place with it.
“The Astemo team executed extremely well today and did everything right. We were moving forward and to have this happen with the belts is just a punch in the gut.
“We have Barber next to get back on the right side of the momentum before the month of May.”
