Team Penske Restructures IndyCar Program Amid Leadership Changes
In a significant overhaul of its IndyCar Series program, Team Penske has appointed new management and engineering personnel following the departure of several key figures in May. This restructuring was prompted by the firing of team president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and team manager Kyle Moyer.
As part of the team’s revitalization strategy, Jonathan Diuguid, formerly managing director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, has been named president of the IndyCar program. Diuguid will also oversee Penske’s IMSA operations, signaling a dual focus across top-tier racing divisions. Travis Law has been appointed competition director, emphasizing a streamlined leadership approach.
Prominent promotions within the technical framework include David Faustino, elevated to technical director, and Ben Bretzman, now serving as engineering manager of competition. Faustino, a veteran who played a crucial role in the team’s championship successes in 2014 and 2022, will focus on long-term engineering initiatives and technical partnerships. Bretzman, who has a championship history with Simon Pagenaud, will oversee race and performance engineers, enhancing operational execution on race weekends.
Both Faustino and Bretzman will depart from their engineering roles with the No. 12 and No. 3 Chevy entries, respectively—Faustino shifting away from David Malukas’ car and Bretzman from Scott McLaughlin’s.
“In our case, it’s driven a little bit out of necessity for obvious reasons,” Diuguid stated. “It’s given us the opportunity to determine what we want to look like going forward. The experience within our team positions us well.”
The restructuring also includes the promotion of championship-winning chief mechanic Matt Jonsson to assembly manager, while senior assistant race engineer Robbie Atkinson steps into the role of team manager. This redistribution of roles aims to improve personnel management and enhance the efficiency of operations both on and off the track.
“As we advance, the workload necessitates this structure, focusing on attention to detail needed to stay competitive,” Diuguid added.
Additionally, Andrew Miller has been appointed as engineering manager, development, to support Bretzman’s trackside roles, further strengthening the engineering team.
While specifics regarding race engineering plans for the No. 2 Chevy, driven by two-time champion Josef Newgarden, will be disclosed later, the collaboration between Team Penske and AJ Foyt Racing, established in mid-2023, is expected to continue under the new leadership.
This comprehensive restructuring aims not only to enhance operational efficiency but also to maintain Team Penske’s competitive edge in the evolving landscape of IndyCar racing.
