By Bruce Martin, exclusive to the INDYCAR app

MOORESVILLE, North Carolina -- After spending so many years at Andretti Autosport switching teams had to be a major decision to Kyle Moyer. So, what brought Moyer to Team Penske?

“Team Penske,” Moyer said.

Such a short answer but it speaks volumes for the new competition director at Team Penske.

“My answer is the same as Simon Pagenaud,” Moyer said. “Why did Will Power come here for a half-season deal hoping it would become a full season. Look at the people I’ve worked with – Tony Bettenhausen, Dan Gurney, Barry Green and then Michael. Who is left on the list you would like to work for?

“Well, everybody would like to work at Team Penske, wouldn’t they?”

Moyer had been involved with Andretti Autosport – previously Team Green – for 23 years and was firmly established at that operation as the team manager. That was before a career-changing opportunity developed when Team Penske decided to increase to four cars with the addition of Simon Pagenaud to a lineup that already included 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, 1999 CART champion, 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner and former Formula One and NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

Moyer’s strength was overseeing a four-driver operation at Andretti Autosport while a racing quartet is new at Team Penske.

“It didn’t take me long to decide to leave because in my situation there’s not going to be many times for an opportunity like this at Penske,” Moyer said. “A lot of moons that are lined up. They are a four-car team and I’ve run a four-car team so that created an opening here. I don’t think if Simon weren’t here we would be talking right now. But everything that happened it opened up a door.

“I’m leaving a team that I loved to work with. I have nothing but happy memories there with championships, Indy 500s and race wins. I have almost 100 wins and most of those came out of that building at Andretti Autosport. It was a sad day to leave them but I’m not getting any younger so it’s exciting to say that I’m at Team Penske.”

Joining Team Penske meant a move from Indianapolis to Mooresville, North Carolina. All of team owner Roger Penske’s racing operations are based at one massive facility.

“I lived in Indianapolis because there are IndyCars,” Moyer said. “Even though I love Indianapolis I lived there because of IndyCars. Now, I’m living here because of a great IndyCar team. I’m not worried where I live. It’s nice that I can live around a lake now and it’s nice and has trees and rolling hills and it’s a bit warmer but I came here because of the IndyCar team.”

Moyer is the competition director at Team Penske and will call the race strategy for Pagenaud. His experience running and operating a four-car team at Andretti Autosport will be a tremendous asset at Team Penske.

“I’m hoping that’s the little bit I can help but let’s face it – this team wins,” Moyer said. “They won the championship last year and they’ve won the Indy 500 15 times. There is nothing to change on the team – they are just getting bigger and needed help so here is my opportunity.

“Four of the top six drivers in IndyCar racing are in this building. That’s pretty impressive. I want to be part of this. And Roger Penske is the one that assembled this. If there is a race we go into that we can’t win that’s a problem with this four-driver lineup.”