Penske’s Indy 500 Penalties Spark Industry Outrage and Controversy
The motorsports world is buzzing after Team Penske got hit with major penalties from the NTT INDYCAR Series at the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Officials dropped Josef Newgarden and Will Power to the back of the grid, and reactions have been flying in from all corners—drivers, owners, and just about anyone with a stake in the sport.
The drama centers around technical violations. Modified attenuators were discovered before the Top 12 qualifying session, and that’s really set things off.
Let’s dig into what happened, how people are reacting, and what it might mean for IndyCar going forward.
Details of the Penalties
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Officials found illegal modifications on Team Penske’s cars, specifically on the attenuators. Those changes might’ve given the cars a bit of an aerodynamic edge.
Both Newgarden and Power got bumped to the 32nd and 33rd starting spots for the Indy 500. That’s about as rough as it gets for a team with Penske’s history.
- Suspending the team strategists for both cars for the rest of the Indy 500
- Fining each entry $100,000
- Forfeiting all qualifying points
- Losing their pit position selections
Penske has racked up 20 Indy 500 wins over the years, so this sort of penalty stings even more for them.
Industry Reactions
The penalties have set off a storm of opinions. Veteran journalist and engineer Marshall Pruett pointed out that Newgarden’s race-winning car from last year had similar modifications, which has people questioning past results.
Some fans even called for the 2024 runner-up, Pato O’Ward, to get the win instead. Pruett pushed back, saying that trying to overturn a previous win would be messy and probably not good for the sport.
Drivers Weigh In
Pato O’Ward didn’t hold back. He slammed the penalties as too lenient and argued that Penske’s cars should’ve been forced into the last-chance qualifier.
He also felt for Jacob Abel, who missed the race on speed, and wondered why a team as strong as Penske would risk breaking the rules at all. Other drivers and team owners chimed in, stressing how much the sport’s integrity matters.
Team Owners and Analysts
Chip Ganassi, who’s won the Indy 500 five times, called out Team Penske for changing the attenuator, saying it should’ve been used exactly as supplied. He’s clear: the drive to win shouldn’t come at the cost of integrity.
Ed Carpenter Racing got in on the action with a tongue-in-cheek image on social media, poking fun at Penske’s rule-breaking and showing just how much disbelief is out there.
Helio Castroneves, who used to drive for Penske, defended the team. He suggested the modifications were minor and maybe even accidental, hinting that it might’ve been more about looks than actual performance.
Calls for Structural Changes
This whole situation has reignited calls for an independent body to oversee IndyCar rules. Some critics say Roger Penske’s role as both IndyCar owner and Team Penske boss is a conflict of interest.
Doug Boles, president of IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, stood up for Penske. He said he doesn’t believe Penske would knowingly allow violations, but the calls for structural changes are getting louder.
Implications for the Future
This isn’t the first time Team Penske’s been in hot water. Just last year, they got caught up in a push-to-pass scandal at St. Petersburg.
People around the paddock are restless. They’re watching Penske closely, and there’s a lot of talk about how the sport needs to handle things moving forward.
If you want more reactions and the full story, check out the article on FloRacing.
Conclusion
The penalties against Team Penske really shook up the motorsports world. They’ve made a lot of people question how competition and integrity fit together in racing.
IndyCar keeps changing, and honestly, it feels like clear and fair rules matter more than ever. Drivers, team owners, and analysts all jumped into the debate, calling for a level playing field and making sure nobody loses sight of what real competition should be.
No one’s quite sure how this will change IndyCar’s future. But let’s face it—the debate about fairness and good governance in racing isn’t going away anytime soon.
