Penske Team Disqualified and Fined Over Manipulation: Newgarden Stripped of Victory

On a fateful Wednesday, Team Penske found itself at the center of a scandalous disqualification that shook the motorsport world. The reigning Indianapolis 500 winner, Josef Newgarden, was stripped of his victory in the season-opening race due to manipulations associated with his push-to-pass system. What's more, his Penske teammate, Scott McLaughlin, who finished third in the race, also faced disqualification. While another Penske driver, Will Power, escaped disqualification, he was not exempt from the ramifications as he was docked 10 points. The reverberations of this shocking event were immediate throughout the motorsport community, leaving the team, its owner Roger Penske, and the series itself in disarray.

All three Penske entries were slapped with a hefty $25,000 fine and were forced to forfeit all prize money associated with the race, dealing a severe blow to the prestigious team. Roger Penske, a revered figure in motorsport, expressed his profound disappointment, conceding, "I am embarrassed." The ramifications didn't stop there as the scandal tarnished the team's reputation and cast a shadow of doubt over its operations and integrity.

Not surprisingly, the repercussions of Team Penske's disqualification were felt far and wide. Chip Ganassi, a rival team owner, expressed his disillusionment, stating, "I've emulated Roger Penske for many years on and off the track, so today's news is quite a disappointment for me." The disqualification offered a surprising twist as it elevated Pato O'Ward to victory, marking McLaren's first win in the IndyCar series since 2022.

The Aftermath

Although the manipulation took place during the season-opening race, it wasn't unearthed until Sunday morning's warmup in Long Beach, California — a delay of nearly two months. IndyCar President Jay Frye emphasized the critical importance of the championship's integrity and assured that new technical inspection procedures would be implemented to prevent similar violations in the future. The revelation cast a dark cloud over the IndyCar Series, raising questions about the efficacy of its monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

Admitting Fault

Team Penske's President, Tim Cindric, took responsibility for the scandal, acknowledging that the push-to-pass software was not removed as required following recent hybrid testing in the team's Indy cars. This oversight allowed for push-to-pass to be deployed during restarts at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix race, a clear violation of IndyCar rules. Cindric stated, "Team Penske accepts the penalties applied by IndyCar," taking a conciliatory stance in the wake of the controversy.

A Pattern of Misconduct

Notably, this was not the first instance of misconduct by Team Penske during the season. Earlier, Joey Logano, a driver for Penske in NASCAR, faced a fine and a penalty for using an illegal glove during qualifying runs. This revelation raised concerns about a potential pattern of disregard for regulations within the team and prompted heightened scrutiny of its operations.