The first race of the 2022 IndyCar season is in the books, and Team Penske could not be more relieved at the way the year has started.
Scott McLaughlin rocked the streets to earn his maiden win in St. Petersburg on Sunday afternoon, while the ‘Master of St. Pete’ Will Power stood on the podium alongside him.
The strong start stands in sharp contrast to last season, when it took until the tenth round of the season before the powerhouse team was able to log its first win.
Every member of the team denied there were specific problems causing the delay in earning a victory, but it was obvious that there was some tension and frustration when the season hit the halfway point and still no wins had come.
It was the longest winless streak in many years for the team that has won the championship four times in the past eight seasons.
This season, despite only having three drivers in the stable, Team Penske has logged a dream start right out of the gate by earning a double podium on one of the more prestigious events on the calendar.
It seems that something has clicked with the team in the offseason, as the cars were fast as soon as they rolled off the haulers.
That’s not to say that McLaughlin didn’t up his skills and bring his A-game to the first race of his sophomore season, but having a car that is performing at its best is a necessity in order to win in the ultra-competitive IndyCar series.
There was one area that was reminiscent of last season, however, and that was Josef Newgarden’s disappointing result in the first race of the new year. By finishing in 15th place on Sunday, the 2019 champion is again the lowest-placed driver in Team Penske’s stable after round one for the second consecutive year.
His poor start in 2021 did not stop him from being a title contender through to the final race, but he still would rather have had the start that his team-mates enjoyed this weekend.
Even with one driver down the order, it cannot be denied that Roger Penske’s empire of a team appears to have its ducks in a row this season, and is ready to reclaim the championship from Chip Ganassi Racing.
For the last three IndyCar seasons, the winner of the opening round has gone on to win the championship. If that trend holds true for this season, McLaughlin and Team Penske will have much more to celebrate come September than a race win.
