INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥 As the latest round of Team Penske cheating allegations swirled through Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the president of the IndyCar team stood outside the garage to address the illegal modifications discovered on two of its cars.
Lurking over Tim Cindric’s shoulder was a random race fan wearing what appeared to be a Team Penske branded shirt.
It was not: Like Josef Newgarden and Will Power’s cars for the Indianapolis 500, the shirt had been modified. It read: 鈥淭eam Cheaters鈥 with the Penske logo bar.
Perception isn’t necessarily reality, but Roger Penske has a serious perception problem now that his team has been swept up in scandal for the second time in just over a year.
The first time, it was the discovery last April that the Penske drivers had access to the have been able to use the extra horsepower boost. On Sunday, during the second day of qualifying for the 109th running of 鈥淭he Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” it was discovered that
They were disqualified from making a four-lap run, and IndyCar a day later hammered Team Penske: Newgarden, the two-time defending race winner, was dropped to 32nd in the field and Power was moved to last.
IndyCar stripped both cars of points earned in qualifying, fined both teams $100,000 and suspended the strategists for the remainder of the month. It means Cindric and team managing director Ron Ruzewski will miss the Indy 500 for a second consecutive year.
This is a nightmare for Penske, who owns the three-car team, IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 鈥 the race he values more than any other event in the world. Penske has a record 20 Indy 500 victories.
鈥淲hat a shame this cloud will continue to hover over our great race until everything is fully resolved,鈥 McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown told The Associated Press.
Defending Roger Penske
The penalties were decided by new IndyCar President Doug Boles, who in February was given the title in addition to his job as president of the speedway. He was the one to inform Penske, via phone call, before they were announced Monday.
Boles also tried to lessen Penske’s role in what has transpired within the team.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Roger Penske understands some of the things that might be going on. I get the optics challenge, and it鈥檚 definitely something we should think about,鈥 Boles said. “While (issues) roll up to Roger at the end of the day, I think they are certainly below him. There are things that happen that don鈥檛 ever get to Roger.
鈥淚 can tell you that Roger Penske would not condone this. In fact, I had a chance to talk to Roger, and I can tell that this is devastating to him,鈥 Boles continued. 鈥淣othing means more to Roger Penske than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. This is something that I think he鈥檚 going to have to address at some point in time.鈥
That’s what rival teams have been saying since the commotion Sunday on pit lane, when the two Penske cars were pulled off the grid and returned to the garage moments before the fast 12 shootout.
Team Penske said it accepts the penalties and was “disappointed by the results and the impact it has on our organization. We will make further announcements later this week related to personnel for the upcoming Indianapolis 500.鈥
Boles is adamant the cars were legal in Saturday’s inspection and he had heard nothing about the Penske cars potentially having an illegal modification until it all unfolded. Rivals are claiming otherwise, offering photos they shows the modifications as recently as last month’s open test.
The AP and Indianapolis Star went to the IMS Museum on Monday and found Newgarden’s 2024 winning car that is on display. It had the same illegal modification.
What others are saying
鈥淭he biggest problem I see is there’s a bit of a theme going on here and it’s just a bad look, right?鈥 said six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, who believes IndyCar needs an independent governing body without any Penske employees.
Dixon’s boss, Chip Ganassi, was one of many who complained to IndyCar inspectors and Penske executives that the cars were illegal on Sunday. The next day, he remained disappointed in the drama that is now overshadowing the biggest race in the world, one that is sold out for the first time since 2016.
“All the teams in the sport have a responsibility to protect the integrity of the sport, none more than the Penske team,” Ganassi told AP.
Newgarden is attempting to become the first driver to win the Indy 500 in three consecutive years, but no driver has won after starting on the last row. Power, meanwhile, is in a contract year and Team Penske has maintained it wouldn’t begin discussions on an extension until after the 500. Asked last week about Power’s future with the team, Cindric told AP: 鈥淲ell, if he wins the 500, that would make for a much easier conversation.鈥
Now, Newgarden and Power are in deep holes despite having nothing to do with the situation.
What comes next
Penske, who places tremendous value on his reputation and strong belief that 鈥渆ffort equals results,鈥 is now having his integrity questioned. Boles and Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles had a Monday meeting with the rest of the owners that Brown described as contentious.
鈥淚鈥檓 very concerned, as are my fellow team owners, to find that Team Penske has been found with a multi-car major technical infringement for the second time in two seasons,鈥 Brown told AP. 鈥淚n racing you can sometimes have mechanics who make miscalculations and you can sometimes have manufacturing issues that can all lead to honest mistakes. I don鈥檛 believe that鈥檚 what happened here or last year, which raises questions over the integrity of the decision-making within that team.”
Brown did not place blame on IndyCar technical director Kevin Blanch, who he said 鈥渄oes an excellent job.鈥 But, he said there were questions about IndyCar鈥檚 ability to continue to run the series under the current set up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear IndyCar needs more depth and technical resources to examine and spot violations, flagrant or not,鈥 Brown continued. 鈥淲hile I appreciate and support IndyCar鈥檚 position to move those two cars to the back of the field, there obviously remains a question mark regarding their compliance on Saturday.鈥
Brown said it was unfair that Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing was bumped from the 33-car field.
鈥淚f it turns out this technical infringement was on their cars when they qualified Saturday, then it鈥檚 incredibly unfair that Jacob Abel and his team were bumped by non-compliant cars,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淗owever, I have complete confidence in Roger Penske鈥檚 commitment to look at that situation and to ensure that any such wrongs are righted.”
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