Roger Penske: We end 2015 with "our heads high"

Speaking publicly Saturday for the first time since Matt Kenseth was suspended by NASCAR for two races for intentionally wrecking race leader and Team Penske driver Joey Logano at Martinsville, Penske said the year ends with mixed emotions.

“I look at it this way – what happened, happened, and you can’t go back and replay it. If you did, maybe other things would take place. It was very unfortunate when you think of the wins and poles and number of laps led we had,” Penske said.

“It is disappointing for the team but we are going to keep going. We have a great organization. The fans are getting a great show and what we have to do is keep our team together. I think that is what we have done. We have kept our heads high.”

Moving on

Penske said he would not get into a “worth-smithing contest” regarding the issues around the suspension and the incidents between Logano and Kenseth.

“I fully support Brad and Joey. I think we are better off taking the high road on this stuff and continue to compete at a high level and show the speed we had,” he said.

“You saw what we had at Phoenix and hopefully we have a good run tomorrow and we finish this season with a lot of wins and some successes and I guess on the bottom line, there will be some disappointments.”

Asked if he thought Kenseth’s suspension was “just,” Penske again demurred.

“I could have thought a lot of things that could have happened. NASCAR called it. There was no opportunity for us to challenge it in any way, shape or form and as I said to Joey, we had to move on,” he said.

“You just can’t replay these things. I think the drivers talked this weekend and they have to race each other for a number of years. We have to race Gibbs and I have talked to Joey about it and I think that at the end of the day, I am going to put it behind me and go forward.”