Almost doesn’t quite cut for Team Penske after a dominant showing by Josef Newgarden, a strong run by Will Power and a fantastic drive by Scott McLaughlin in the Synk 275 at Iowa Speedway.
Incredible effort all day. pic.twitter.com/wtO9SO9urM
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) July 12, 2025
Emotions were mixed in the Penske camp after finally having a day of all three cars being on the right side of the 27-car field as opposed to previous races. But none were happier than McLaughlin’s Thirsty Threes team after recovering from a gnarly crash in qualifying for the Iowa doubleheader.
OH NO! đź«Ł
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 12, 2025
Scott McLaughlin SPINS in qualifying, making hard contact with the wall. pic.twitter.com/0Wg7okTe0C
With high-fives all around and smiles on everyone from McLaughlin to newly-appointed team strategist Ben Bretzman, the team celebrated a thrilling drive from last to fourth at a track where many had thought it was nearly impossible to pass.
However, McLaughlin busted that theory, utilizing the high side to his advantage of the competition time and time again Saturday (July 12) afternoon.
“I just took what I got,” McLaughlin told Frontstretch. “I knew the only way that I was gonna get to the front was throwing the outside and just letting it eat, and thankfully, it was sticking. My car was really good. It was phenomenal.”
He nearly made the last step of the podium, challenging Power for third on the final restart.
“It’s big [for Team Penske],” said McLaughlin. “Obviously, we’re chasing wins, and we know we’re strong here, but at the end of the day, me personally, we needed to do what we did today, and we did. We just got to do it again tomorrow. So, 2-3-4 after the momentum we’ve had lately, it’s nice just for the team.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind if we start at the front, we contend, but no reason why we can’t contend tomorrow if we can get through the field like we did today.”
Bretzman shared how much the result meant to not only the No. 3 Chevrolet team but for the whole organization as well. Bretzman took over after the slew of changes made as a result of the penalties levied at the Indianapolis 500 against the Nos. 2 and 12.
“It’s just a testament of this group, not only ours, but the 12 and 2 guys also,” Bretzman said. “It took everybody. It was about a couple a couple of hours – we had to rebuild half the car, and Scott drove the absolute wheels off it trying to get back to the group, so couldn’t be prouder. This is why we work here. This is why I work at Team Penske, and this is why we all work here because of days like this to show us how good we are in recovery when something goes wrong.”
Elsewhere at Penske, feelings stayed mixed between the other two teams standing on the podium, with Newgarden, who seemed to have a grip on the win from the beginning, falling short to eventual winner and fellow Chevrolet driver Pato O’Ward during green flag pit stops.
PATO PASSES NEWGARDEN OFF PIT LANE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TFEClUlAtw
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 12, 2025
“It’s just a clean day for the most part,” Newgarden said with a shrug. “We just struggled to have clean days when things happen or another. Pretty OK.”
Despite the strong finish and dominant day, Newgarden was straight to the point about coming second.
“I don’t think that [Chevy] finally showed strength,” Newgarden said. “I think they just finally got a result.”
Power’s team strategist, Dave Faustino, gave a detailed look at what Power’s second podium and Penske’s 2-3-4 finish give the team going into tomorrow’s Farm to Finish 275.
“It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” Faustino said. “We’re looking to get the monkey off our back for sure. It’s a shame Joseph didn’t get that one. [I] really thought he had that and deserved that. We’ve got a good shot at it tomorrow, have good cars, and try to basically keep it on this end from here on out for the rest of the season.”
Power, on the other hand, was very direct about what he thought of Penske’s performance in Corn Country.
“No strange issues.” Power said.
But that’s exactly what the doctor ordered for Penske, who needed a rebound today after a double DNF last week at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, three DNF’s in a row for Newgarden, and failing to finish in the top 10 in the past five races for McLaughlin going into this race.
The fight for a title might be way out of reach for the team, but the fight for their reputation finally got a victory on the track today at Iowa.
Wyatt Watson has followed motorsports closely since 2007. He joined Frontstretch as a journalist in February 2023 after serving in the United States Navy for five years as an Electronic Technician Navigation working on submarines. Wyatt is one of Frontstretch's primary IndyCar correspondents, providing exclusive video content on site. He hosts Frontstretch's Through the Gears podcast and occasionally The Pit Straight.You can find Wyatt's written work in columns such as Friday Faceoff and 2-Headed Monsteras well as exclusive IndyCar features. Wyatt also contributes to Frontstretch's social media team, posting unique and engaging content for Frontstretch.
Wyatt Watson can be found on X @WyattWRacing