Disastrous Indy 500 Qualifying for Team Penske: One Car Crashes, Two Fail Inspections—What’s Next?

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A shocking twist unfolded during the Indianapolis 500 qualifying weekend. Two-time champion Josef Newgarden didn’t get behind the wheel at all. Instead, he and his Team Penske crew found themselves disqualified before they could even compete for the pole position.

The rough day began when last year’s pole-sitter, Scott McLaughlin, crashed during practice. Team Penske chose not to send him out for the fast 12 shootout, settling for a 12th-place start.

Before the shootout started, rival team owner Chip Ganassi accused Team Penske of rule violations, claiming he’d seen suspicious modifications on the cars. Moments later, Newgarden and Will Power’s cars were pulled back into the garage after failing inspection.

IndyCar technical director Kevin Blanch revealed that the issue was related to the rear attenuator, a crucial safety feature intended to absorb impact. Team Penske had made modifications to this part to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. Cindric, Team Penske’s president, admitted there were mixed signals regarding the rules but accepted that modifications should not have been made post-inspection.

Newgarden, eager to secure a third straight Indy 500 victory, was visibly frustrated. He was seen running off his emotions in the infield while the other drivers qualified around him. Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren Racing commented on the incident, questioning why Team Penske pushed boundaries, especially given their prowess.

“It’s a shame,” O’Ward said. “They don’t need to be doing that stuff.”

Historically, Team Penske has faced scrutiny over rule violations. Last year, they were involved in a push-to-pass scandal where Newgarden gained an unfair advantage. This led to penalties for several team members, highlighting an ongoing pattern of concern.

The consequences of this weekend’s disqualification are steep. Instead of leading the charge from the front row, the Penske trio will start from the fourth row. Meanwhile, only nine drivers made it into the fast 12 shootout, with Felix Rosenqvist, Pato O’Ward, rookie Robert Shwartzman, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, and Takuma Sato securing their places in the final qualifying round. Shwartzman made history as the first Israeli driver to earn the pole position, and he’s the first rookie to do so since 1983.

As the Indy 500 approaches, all eyes are now on how Team Penske will bounce back from this setback.

Source link

Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Roger Penske, Automobile racing, Indianapolis, General news, NC State Wire, Auto Racing, IN State Wire, Kevin Blanch, Scott McLaughlin, Felix Rosenqvist, Patricio OWard, Tim Cindric, Sports, Ron Ruzewski, Takuma Sato, IndyCar racing, Robert Shwartzman, U.S. news, Indianapolis 500, Robbie Atkinson, Jacob Abel, U.S. News