Heartbreak hit the hometown Penske team at this weekend’s two Detroit Grand Prix IndyCar races.
Penske drivers barely lost, as racing resumed on Belle Isle for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
On Saturday, Penske driver Will Power was in command of the weekend’s first race, before a late crash forced cars to shut-off and wait in the pit lane.
Power’s car would not re-start and ex-Formula One driver Marcus Ericsson came out in front, earning his first victory in almost a decade.
“That’s racing you know sometimes. It was obviously bad for Will but it was our luck.”
Yesterday (Sunday), Penske’s Josef Newgarden led almost the entire race, until he slid on eroding tires with only three laps to go and McLaren driver Pato O’Ward sailed past for the win.
Some Detroiters have criticized holding such a crowded weekend event in a city where only about a third of residents are vaccinated against COVID. But race organizers limited the number of fans who could attend and hailed the Grand Prix as a sign of a return to normal life.