‘You Don’t Take It for Granted’ Josef Newgarden’s Racing Strategist Reveals Team Penske’s Formula for Success After Winning Most IndyCar Championships While Will Power Becomes Controversial Hotshot
In the high-octane world of IndyCar racing, where split-second decisions can crown champions or shatter dynasties, Team Penske stands as an unyielding colossus. With a staggering 17 series championships under its belt—the most in the sport’s history—the organization founded by Roger Penske has long epitomized precision, innovation, and unrelenting drive. Yet, as the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series concludes its whirlwind campaign, whispers of vulnerability have crept into the narrative. A scandal-plagued Indianapolis 500, a winless streak that tested even the steeliest resolve, and the seismic departure of veteran star Will Power have painted a portrait of a team in flux. Amid this turbulence, Josef Newgarden’s race strategist, Luke Mason, has pulled back the curtain on the intangible alchemy that keeps Penske dominant: a philosophy encapsulated in four simple words—”You don’t take it for granted.”
Mason, the soft-spoken Englishman who serves as both strategist and engineer for Newgarden’s No. 2 Chevrolet, has been the quiet architect behind some of Penske’s most triumphant moments. In a candid interview just days after the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway, where Newgarden clawed his way to a podium finish in a rain-soaked thriller, Mason dissected the formula that has propelled Penske to 245 victories and counting. “Success here isn’t about the shiny cars or the deep pockets,” he said, his voice steady over the hum of the team’s Mooresville, North Carolina headquarters. “It’s about hunger. Every lap, every pit stop, every data point—you approach it like it’s your first. You don’t take it for granted.” This ethos, Mason explained, traces back to Roger Penske himself, the 88-year-old billionaire whose meticulous oversight has turned a racing outfit into a billion-dollar empire spanning IndyCar, NASCAR, and IMSA.
The 2025 season tested that hunger like few before it. Entering the year as defending champions—Newgarden securing his second title in 2023 and repeating as Indy 500 victor in 2024—Penske arrived at St. Petersburg with sky-high expectations. But what unfolded was a campaign marred by mechanical gremlins, strategic misfires, and the lingering shadow of May’s infamous push-to-pass scandal at the Brickyard. Team executives, including longtime strategist Tim Cindric, were suspended after an investigation revealed illicit modifications to the overtake assist system, disqualifying Newgarden and Power from pole contention and handing them six starting-position penalties. The fallout was brutal: Newgarden finished a distant 17th in the 500, his bid for a three-peat derailed before the green flag even dropped. “It was a gut punch,” Mason admitted. “But that’s Penske. We dissect, we adapt, we come back fiercer.”
Adaptation became the watchword. Mason, who stepped into a more prominent role post-scandal, overhauled Newgarden’s pit strategy protocols, integrating real-time AI simulations with veteran intuition. The results were incremental but telling: a string of top-five finishes at Mid-Ohio and Iowa kept Newgarden in the top 10 of the standings, even as Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou romped to his third championship with 711 points. Scott McLaughlin, the Kiwi sensation in the No. 3, notched consistent podiums, while the team’s overall haul included three wins—two from an unlikely source. Yet, it was Mason’s emphasis on mental resilience that shone through. “We talk about ‘grit equity’ in debriefs,” he revealed. “How much emotional capital do you have left after a bad day? Penske wins because we never let it dip to zero.”
No discussion of Penske’s 2025 saga is complete without Will Power, the brash Australian whose 17-year tenure ended in a blaze of controversy and catharsis. Power, a two-time champion with 42 wins for the team, entered the season under a cloud—no multiyear extension in hand, whispers of retirement swirling. His outspoken critique of the Indy 500 scandal made him the first Penske driver to break ranks publicly, calling the executive firings “a pity” and decrying the “witch hunt” that followed. “It’s bullshit,” Power fumed in a post-qualifying presser, his trademark candor igniting fan debates across social media. What could have been a distraction morphed into fuel. In August, Power delivered Penske’s drought-breaking victory at Portland International Raceway, fending off Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Christian Lundgaard in a nail-biting finish. It was his second straight win there, a poetic capstone to a career defined by raw speed and sharper elbows.
But Power’s hotshot persona—equal parts genius and grenade—ultimately led to his exit. On September 2, mere days after Newgarden’s gritty third at Nashville, Penske announced Power’s departure for 2026, paving the way for David Malukas to slide into the No. 12 seat. Rumors swirled of a move to Andretti Global, where Power could chase an elusive third title alongside Colton Herta. “Will’s a lightning rod,” Mason said with a wry smile. “He pushes everyone, including himself. That’s why we love him—and why the paddock will miss him.” Power’s farewell was vintage: a tearful podium speech at Milwaukee, where he rallied the series community in a moment of unity that felt like IndyCar’s soul laid bare.
As the off-season looms, Mason’s revelations offer a roadmap for Penske’s resurgence. The team, ever the innovator, eyes hybrid engine tech and expanded data analytics for 2026, with Newgarden gunning for a third crown. “We’ve got the most championships because we respect the grind,” Mason emphasized. “Power’s leaving hurts, but it reminds us: nothing’s promised. You earn it every damn time.” In a sport where legends fade and new hotshots rise, Penske’s formula endures—not through complacency, but through the fierce refusal to assume victory is anything less than a miracle. As Newgarden revs up for another assault on the series, one thing is clear: the Captain’s crew isn’t done writing history just yet
