One of the major stories from Sunday’s qualifying sessions at the Indianapolis 500 was Team Penske withdrawing both the No. 2 car of Josef Newgarden and the No. 12 car of Will Power, after technical inspections found a modified attenuator on both cars.
Now, those two entries have been moved to the back of the starting grid for the 109th Indianapolis 500.
In a statement released by IndyCar, it was noted that “[u]pon further review last night and early this morning, IndyCar will be moving cars No. 2 and 12 to the 32nd and 33rd starting positions for this year’s Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. They will start in order based upon their qualifying times from Saturday.”
Instead of starting inside the top 12, both Newgarden and Power are headed to the last row.
“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. “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 attempt a time in the Fast 12 due to an accident in Sunday’s practice session. According to the statement from IndyCar, “[u]pon review of the car, and IndyCar impounding the No. 3 attenuator, IndyCar found that the car was in fact using a legal and unmodified attenuator. Therefore, car No. 3 will start in the 10th spot – the final spot of those who had qualified to participate in the Top 12.”
In addition to the grid drop for both Newgarden and Power, IndyCar “is suspending the team strategists for the Nos. 2 and 12 for the remainder of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, both cars will forfeit Indianapolis 500 qualification points and each entry has been fined $100,000.
“Car Nos. 2 and 12 also will forfeit their pit positions and will select their pit boxes after the remainder of the field has an opportunity to adjust accordingly.”
“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 said. “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.”
“For me, and for the team at IndyCar as we had a conversation working through this, this [penalty] is the right result,” said Boles to the media, including SB Nation, in a press conference Monday morning.
During the press conference Boles confirmed that IndyCar has in their possession the attenuator from all three Team Penske cars, and that the No. 3 of McLaughlin’s did pass inspection, and was not modified.
This is a developing story.
