The NTT IndyCar Series has issued major penalties to two Team Penske cars after Indianapolis 500 qualifying and inspection.
According to a Monday announcement, the No. 2 of Josef Newgarden and the No. 12 of Will Power were both in violation of IndyCar Rule 14.7.8.16. Both entries had modified attenuators.
As a result, IndyCar will move Newgarden's car to the 32nd qualifying position and Power's car to the 33rd qualifying position. Additionally, IndyCar suspended the teams' strategists for the remainder of the Indy 500 and fined both teams $100,000. The penalties included the No. 2 and No. 12 forfeiting qualification points and pit selections.
"The integrity of the Indianapolis 500 is paramount, and this violation of the IndyCar rule against modification to this part and using it 'as supplied' is clear," IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles said on Monday.
"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."
The third Team Penske car, the No. 3 of Scott McLaughlin, did not qualify in the top 12 for the Indy 500 due to a crash in practice on Sunday. However, IndyCar examined the destroyed car and determined that its attenuator was legal and unmodified. McLaughlin will keep his 10th starting position.
"The positive momentum around the NTT IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 has been on a steep crescendo over the last several months, and we want it to be clear that our intent is to maintain that momentum and discourage teams from putting IndyCar in positions where it calls into the integrity of our officiating and the levelness of the playing field," Boles continued.
"As we look to the remainder of the week and the race this 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."
These penalties could potentially impact Power and Newgarden as they pursue two separate side objectives.
If Power delivers a top-10 finish in the Indy 500 on May 25, $1 million will go to offset veteran debt in the state of Indiana. This is part of a larger $6 million commitment to veteran debt relief by Verizon, Team Penske, and the Indianapolis Colts.
Newgarden, for comparison, has a chance to make history. He won the Indy 500 in both 2023 and '24. No driver has ever won the prestigious race three consecutive times in its 108-year history. He started 17th for the 2023 race and third for last season's event.