WHY PENSKE QUIT SUPERCARS
Why Penske quit Supercars – Photo: LAT
Roger Penske’s involvement in Supercars was doomed from the moment Scott McLaughlin took the chequered flag at Bathurst last year amid what was to become an all-consuming controversy.
COMMENT By MARK FOGARTY
The “debriss” debacle cast aspersions on DJR Team Penske’s sporting integrity, a slur that offended Penske’s penchant for the appearance of propriety.
He prides himself on his organisation’s reputation for fair play, which has been undermined – if not exposed as illusory – during six divisive seasons in Supercars.
The backlash from Bathurst 2019 ended Penske’s interest in Australian racing, which while bringing him great success, has done so to the accompaniment of on-going rancour and controversy.
DJRTP’s achievements were in spite of, and tainted by, Supercars’ interference.
He wasn’t allowed to do things here his way, which always rankled.
No testing or development in America, a restriction that intensely annoyed RP.
Penske was at Mount Panorama to witness McLaughlin’s triumph last year, but he flew back to Detroit in his private jet deeply unhappy and disillusioned.
That turned to anger and a resolution to exit Supercars amid the damning post-Bathurst fallout, which saw DJRTP fined a record $250,000 for directing Fabian Coulthard to bunch the field behind McLaughlin during a safety car period.
The “debriss, debriss, debriss” call goes down in infamy as, at best, clumsy team tactics – or at worst, calculated and wilful subversion.
If Penske had any doubts about his dissatisfaction, it was sealed by the subsequent revelation that Scotty’s qualifying engine was illegal. Didn’t cost him his victory, but further questioned it and pushed Penske over the edge.
On top of all the questions over the Mustang’s aero advantage in 2019, that was it for Team Penske. One more year, then outski.
There were rumblings about Penske’s involvement in late ’19, intensifying at this year’s Adelaide 500. Then COVID-19 happened, distracting attention away from DJRTP’s post-2020 ownership composition.
Except at AUTO ACTION. We were the first to publicly question Penske’s involvement beyond this year months ago, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
Today’s confirmation that Penske is withdrawing and taking McLaughlin with him to IndyCar is no surprise to AA readers. We’ve been predicting both for months.
We nailed it in the latest issue of the magazine on Thursday, outlining with uncanny accuracy what was going to happen.
AA has also been on top of McLaughlin’s future, reporting his despatch to IndyCar as a given months ago.
Many keyboard warriors scoffed at our assertions, but we were on it from the start.
Just as we have been all over Coulthard’s ouster and forecasting that Anton De Pasquale and Will Davison will be DJR’s drivers next year.
Fabs has been under pressure since Scotty arrived in 2017. He was second choice in ’16 and hasn’t convinced the team since.
Good bloke, perfectly groomed ‘Penske’ driver, but just not quite good enough. Against Scotty, he never had a chance. He will shine elsewhere.
As we reported way back, Coulthard was always under threat once Scotty joined. DJRTP wanted to replace him with Chaz Mostert this year, but Chaz took an alternative path.
Mozzie may now be questioning, if not ruing, his decision. He would have been the logical established Scotty replacement.
Back to Penke’s withdrawal and it shouldn’t be surprising to informed observers.
It was an unhappy marriage from the start. Supercars didn’t allow Team Penske to do what they’ve done in Trans-Am, IndyCar, sports cars and NASCAR for more than 50 years.
Penske over the years has influenced the series in which it has competed to its advantage.
Supercars, almost unwittingly, stood up to his Rogerness by not allowing Team Penske to build Falcons/Mustangs or engines in America, nor allowed testing a Supercar in the States.
Along with being found out for various ‘tricks’, Penske and his loyal lieutenant Tim Cindric never accepted Supercars’ controls.
This should have not been a surprise to anyone who had followed and understood Penke’s approach to racing since the late 1960s.
Team Penske is used to getting its way by subtle pressure and compromise. That didn’t work here.
Despite the global glory of having Penske involved, Supercars did him no favours, coming down hard on various transgressions.
Team Penske’s exit is not a shock if you understood its controlling attitude. It races where it knows it can be successful with its financial and technical might.
It could not impose itself on Supercars, annoyed and frustrated it could not test and build cars or develop engines in the USA.
Fans here see Roger Penske as an avuncular uncle. He is not. He is a ruthless businessman.
I have dealt with Roger for more than 20 years, going back to Champ Car in the late 1990s.
He is a gentleman and an enthusiast – but also hard as. Apart from IndyCar, for which he has an enduring soft spot.
Penske highly rates McLaughlin and sees him as a future star.
He has achieved his racing and business aims in Australasia – now it’s time to move on from a series he doesn’t really like.
It’s been great to have Penske involved, but his departure will not immediately affect DJR.
It will continue with momentum next year and, drivers and backing continuing, will remain a force in 2022.
DJR remains the Ford homologation team to develop the Gen3 version of the Mustang.
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