INDIANAPOLIS — Two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and Team Penske teammate Will Power will have to start from the final two spots on the grid Sunday after their teams were penalized for violating the rules during qualifying weekend.
IndyCar also announced Monday that the team strategists for the Nos. 2 and 12 have been suspended for the race; the cars will forfeit their qualification points and pit box selections; and each of the entries has been fined $100,000.
It’s the second time in just over a year that Team Penske’s IndyCar program has been embroiled in controversy.
“The integrity of the Indianapolis 500 is paramount,” IndyCar president Doug Boles said. “As we look to the remainder of the week and race weekend, we will do everything we can to make it clear that this is not only the best racing on the planet but racing where the best win under completely fair conditions.”
The trouble for Team Penske began before the fast 12 shootout Sunday, when rival team owner Chip Ganassi was among a chorus of competitors who accused it of cheating. They noticed unapproved changes had been made to the rear attenuator, a safety device designed to absorb and deduce the force of impacts, and the assumption was the modifications would have given the two Team Penske cars an aerodynamic advantage in their four-lap qualifying runs.
Tim Cindric, the president of Penske’s IndyCar program, said Power passed inspection but officials had flagged Newgarden’s car, and he was told neither would pass inspection after making their runs. So, the cars were pulled from the lineup altogether.
Boles initially said late Sunday that Newgarden and Power would join teammate Scott McLaughlin — who had crashed in practice on Sunday and was unable to make a qualifying run — in the fourth row for the race. But after the series gathered more facts and considered the case, the decision was made to put Newgarden in the 32nd starting spot and Will Power in the 33rd.
McLaughlin will keep the 10th starting spot because his wrecked car was found to have used a legal attenuator.
“This violation of the IndyCar rule against modification to this part and using it ‘as supplied’ is clear,” Boles said. “The penalty should be more than simply starting where the cars might have qualified anyway, if given the opportunity. The cars belong in the field as two of the fastest 33, however, starting on the tail of the field is the appropriate penalty in this instance.”
One year ago, Team Penske was caught in a push-to-pass scandal in which Newgarden was found to have access to an additional boost of horsepower when he should not have at the season-opener. He was stripped of his win and team owner Roger Penske — who also owns IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway — suspended Cindric for two races, including the Indy 500.
Also suspended were managing director Ron Ruzewski, Newgarden engineer Luke Mason and data engineer Robbie Atkinson.
Cindric and Ruzewski will now miss their second consecutive Indy 500.
“As far as I’m concerned, this case is closed,” Boles said.
Newgarden, who is trying to become the first driver in 109 years to win three consecutive Indy 500s, was a contender to win the pole. He was seen running off his anger in the infield of the speedway Sunday as another qualifying session roared on.
Pato O’Ward, who drives for rival Arrow McLaren, said after qualifying on the front row that IndyCar should have penalized the Penske cars by making them run in a last-chance qualifier to re-earn spots on the 33-car starting grid. He also expressed sympathy for the four drivers who had to compete for the final three spots with Jacob Abel missing the race.
“I feel bad for Abel and everybody who did the last-chance qualifying. Those cars weren’t in regulation,” O’Ward said of the two Penske cars. “Those cars should have been in the last-chance qualifier … because they had that (Saturday), I guarantee you.”
O’Ward also openly wondered why Team Penske continues to push the envelope on rules.
“It’s a shame,” he said. “They’re a great team. They have great drivers. Why are you doing that? It makes no sense.”
AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report
