Out on the racetrack, Team Penske doesn’t have many friends, but within the brother- and sisterhood on pit lane, there’s immense respect held for the men and women who field the Nos. 2, 3 and 12 Chevrolets.
It was made evident after Will Power ended the team’s season-long drought on Sunday at Portland International Raceway as rival crews and drivers descended upon Power, crew chief Matt Jonsson, and the rest of the No. 12 squad to shake their hands and offer well wishes to some of the best in the sport.
“I was happy for everyone, man,” Power said after scoring his 45th IndyCar victory. “Both teammates came up, all the engineers, all the crews came up. As I drove down pit lane, many teams happy to see us get a win there.”
Team Penske’s travails have been documented aplenty throughout the year. Power’s win not only represented a first for the team in 2025, but also served as the first for Jonathan Diugiud, the team’s new president.
“I think what’s happened to the team this year, probably the situation I’m in, as well (as a free agent), it’s a tight-knit community, the IndyCar paddock, it really is,” Power added.
“Have to say I really have got to know a lot of people from every team in the paddock. I have so many friends in that paddock. I feel like, to have done this for this long and know that many good people – everyone looks out for each other even though we compete against each other. Nice feeling.”
Diuguid sat next to Power in the post-race press conference and wouldn’t be drawn on the winner’s contractual status for 2026, but did celebrate the 44-year-old’s triumph.
“Will did an amazing job today,” he said. “What we’ve been doing all year, I think it’s no secret, been struggling on road courses a little bit. We used all three cars over the past couple events to right the ship. We showed up strong in Portland this weekend. Rewarding to finally end up in Victory Lane.
“It’s obviously rewarding to be in a leadership position on the team. Like Will has mentioned a bunch of times, it’s not just myself, it’s many others that have put us here.
“With the turbulence the team has experienced in the past months, to have the dedication and support of all the team members that we have, that is rewarding to me, that they believe in the team … believe in our processes, in what we do, believe in how we approach race weekends. To be rewarded with a race win is the ultimate part of it. Couldn’t be happier to be here.”
Power was asked on multiple occasions and from an array of angles to get a response to the possibility of being replaced by David Malukas. The last regarding whether the breakthrough win for Penske would show he’s worthy of keeping or being signed by another team was the most creative, which led to a blunt response that fit his personality.
“It’s probably good on both fronts,” he said. “But yeah, I mean, I won three races last year. If you’re a team, if you’re waiting on me to know if I’m good enough, I don’t know what you’re thinking. If you’re actually waiting [like], ‘I’m not sure if this guy is good enough,’ just go back to last year and you’ll know.”
