TORONTO — The hits keep coming for Team Penske as another weekend turned sour at the NTT IndyCar Series’ lone international race of the year on the streets of Toronto on Sunday (July 20).
Will Power‘s 11th-place run was the dim light in a pit of despair for the team, but he was on for a much-needed, better result in what ended up being the final green flag run of the race.
Power and eventual winner Pato O’Ward went wheel to wheel, barreling into the stadium section of the course with Power on the outside. O’Ward made contact with the No. 12 Chevrolet, trying to take the preferred line through turn 4.
“He hit me and it ripped the wheel out of my hand,” Power said. “Obviously very disappointing for me cause it was gonna be a battle for the win, but at least a podium. I think Pato could have just gone longer, and he would have got it anyway. Unfortunate.”
Power charged his way back to 11th after some exciting battles, but he expressed his frustrations on how today could’ve been more, especially with the season coming to an end and lacking a guaranteed contract with Team Penske for 2026.
“A good result helps me out at the moment,” Power said. “Pretty pissed off about the situation. I had a chance to win again. Last week, I had a chance to win, and the engine failed. Mid-Ohio, the engine failed. Gateway, the tire failed. A lot of stuff”
While Power continues to fight for his future, his teammates fared no better on the day, running into more bad luck on the final street course on the calendar.
Scott McLaughlin dipped into the pit lane early to get rid of his soft compound tire. However, his left rear tire changer was unable to tighten the wheel nut, causing the tire to fall off and sending the Kiwi into the wall on lap 2.
This makes it back-to-back DNFs for the Thirsty Threes and only four laps completed in the last two races, ending the day 26th and last of those who were able to start.
“I just went through turn 2 there, and I felt good, felt good, and then all of the sudden, something let go,” McLaughlin told Frontstretch. “Pretty gutted for everyone on the Gallagher Chevy. It’s hard right now. You can’t catch a break. I make mistakes, bad luck. It’s just one of those years. I’m just struggling right now.”
Despite the misfortune, McLaughlin continues to show that it’s onto the next race with positivity, something desperately needed for the two camps.
“Just got to keep looking forward,” McLaughlin said. “I’m the leader of the team, and I’ve got to keep working. We got a lot of resilience in this squad, and if anything, this year is gonna make us really, really strong moving forward because I tell you, when we have a good day, it’s gonna be a great day.”
Despite the positivity, McLaughlin also reflected truthfully that this indeed has been his worst season of his career.
“This is by far the toughest year of my life,” McLaughlin said. “But the best thing about it is I’ve got a beautiful baby girl and a beautiful wife at home waiting for me, and that makes everything better.”
While McLaughlin had another bad weekend, it couldn’t get any worse for Josef Newgarden.
On a lap 36 restart, Newgarden couldn’t avoid a spun Jacob Abel after battling in the midfield on the outside heading into turn 1. When Abel hit the wall, Newgarden’s No. 2 PPG Chevrolet wedged itself under the Dale Coyne Racing Honda, ending his day early in 24th.
This marks Josef Newgarden’s fifth DNF in eight races.
After doing a 6-second interview with FOX Sports, Newgarden declined to comment to Frontstretch.
The tension has built to a palpable measure for all three in the Team Penske stable, which begs the question: When will there be light at the end of the tunnel for this team?
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