It’s a nightmare situation for Roger Penske. For the second time in just over a year, his team has been caught up in the middle of a major ‘cheating’ scandal, one that has caused significant damage to their reputation. On Sunday, Will Power and Josef Newgarden were relegated to the back of the field for the Indianapolis 500 because of an illegal modification of a rear body part. The decision came just over a year after it was discovered that Penske drivers had access to the push-to-pass system for extra horsepower last April.
Being caught up in another high-profile cheating row is not a good look for Team Penske, who will have a steep hill to climb on to rebuild their reputation. Meanwhile, prominent members of the racing community such as Zak Brown and Chip Ganassi couldn’t help but share their thoughts on the ongoing controversy along with some fans.
Roger Penske’s team faces the heat after being caught in a scandal
It’s not what Roger Penske had dreamed of. Going into ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’, the 88-year-old had hoped his three-car team would hit the ground running at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, the tables turned in the blink of an eye after it was discovered that Newgarden and Power’s vehicles had an illegally modified part. As a result, both the racers were disqualified from making a four-lap run, with two-time winner Newgarden dropped to 32nd while Power was moved to last place.
McLaren boss Zak Brown couldn’t help but express his concerns at the ongoing situation. He told the Associated Press, “I’m very concerned, as are my fellow team owners, to find that Team Penske has been found with a multi-car major technical infringement for the second time in two seasons. In racing, you can sometimes have mechanics who make miscalculations, and you can sometimes have manufacturing issues that can all lead to honest mistakes. I don’t believe that’s what happened here or last year, which raises questions over the integrity of the decision-making within that team.”
That’s some serious shots taken. IndyCar was swift in handing out punishments and stripped both cars of points earned during qualifying. Both teams were also fined $100,000, and their strategists were suspended for the remainder of the month. But the damage was already done. Roger Penske has painstakingly built his reputation in the racing world over the years, and to see his team’s name being dragged into the mud because of such scandals is heartbreaking. Motorsports is an industry defined by fine margins but long memories, and a second such scandal won’t die out anytime soon.
.@ZBrownCEO to @AP: “What a shame this cloud will continue to hover over our great race until everything is fully resolved. I’m very concerned … to find that Team Penske has been found with a multi-car major technical infringement for the second time.” https://t.co/J07rBvOnTl
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) May 19, 2025
New IndyCar President Doug Boles, who handed out the penalties, was sympathetic towards the team owner. He said, “I can tell you that Roger Penske would not condone this. In fact, I had a chance to talk to Roger, and I can tell that this is devastating to him.” However, after the punishment was handed out, AP and the Indianapolis Star went to the IMS Museum to look at Newgarden’s 2024 winning car that’s on display and discovered that it had the same ‘illegal modification.’ Perhaps that’s why six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon said, “The biggest problem I see is there’s a bit of a theme going on here and it’s just a bad look, right?”
Chip Ganassi sheds light on Team Penske’s controversy
Chip Ganassi knows a thing or two about competing at the Indianapolis 500. After all, the Pennsylvania native has competed at ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ five times as a driver, finishing as high as eighth in 1983. Now, the team owner was one of the many who complained to IndyCar inspectors about Team Penske’s illegal modifications on Sunday. And now, he’s disappointed that the scandal is overshadowing what is arguably the biggest motorsports event in America.
Sharing his thoughts on the ongoing controversy, Ganassi said, “There are a lot of what are called spec parts on these cars. And you know, they had some spec part that was modified on their car, and they were trying to get it off before they got penalized, and I mean, that’s sort of a penalty in itself. You know, they had an issue there, and I think all teams have a certain responsibility to uphold the integrity of the sport in any series. And no team more than Team Penske.”
Roger Penske’s team now has its work cut out for it. Josef Newgarden will aim to become the first driver to win the Indy 500 for the third time in a row, but no racer has achieved such a triumph after starting from the last row. Things are not looking good for Team Penske, especially from a reputation front, and even if Power or Newgarden somehow pull off a miraculous result, there will be question marks raised about the legality of their triumph. Far from an ideal situation for the veteran team owner.
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