TMW: Team Penske Hit With P2P Penalty
IndyCar has itself a good old-fashioned controversy starring its leading team. And boy is it messy.
The Morning Warmup
April 26, 2024
Today’s Top Stories
1) Penske duo DQed for push-to-pass manipulation in St. Pete (IndyCar)
The NTT IndyCar Series was hit with a dramatic cheating controversy Wednesday - one that altered the winner of the season-opening race and humiliated Team Penske.
Series officials have disqualified race winner Josef Newgarden and third-place finisher Scott McLaughlin from their results in March’s race at St. Petersburg. Teammate Will Power wasn’t disqualified, but was docked 10 points. The three Penske entries were also fined $25,000 and forfeited prize money earned from the race.
Patricio O’Ward was retroactively declared the race winner, with Power and Colton Herta joining him on the podium. Power wasn’t accused of wrongdoing.
The disqualifications are tied to illegal use of IndyCar’s push-to-pass system. Upon a discovery during Sunday’s warm-up at Long Beach, a review of data from St. Petersburg showed that a manipulation of their car’s overtake system allowed Penske’s drivers to use push-to-pass on starts and restarts. Deployment of push-to-pass isn’t supposed to be possible until the leader passes the alternate start-finish line on the first lap of a restart.
“Unfortunately, the Push to Pass software was not removed as it should have been, following recently completed hybrid testing in the Team Penske Indy cars,” Team Penske President Tim Cindric said. “This software allowed for Push to Pass to be deployed during restarts at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix race, when it should not have been permitted.
“The No. 2 car driven by Josef Newgarden and the No. 3 car driven by Scott McLaughlin both deployed Push to Pass on a restart, which violated INDYCAR rules. Team Penske accepts the penalties applied by INDYCAR.”
Indy Star reporter Nathan Brown reported that Cindric told him the software error that caused the manipulation was tied to setup file changes from the start of hybrid testing in Aug. 2023. No employees have been fired and the organization claims no one knew of the improper code.
“Engineers copy-pasted that setup file to start ‘24,” Brown said. “Forgot to take out a line of code.”
McLaughlin put out a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying he “was not aware of the situation with the software” and used a “single, very brief (1.9 second) deployment of push to pass in a section of the track exit of turn 9 where it is typically utilized throughout the race.
“I hit the button out of habit, but I did not pass any cars nor did I gain any team advantage,” he added. “The date, which INDYCAR has, confirms all of this information.”
Power claimed he was “disappointed to learn about the penalty” after an “oversight by our team,” claiming he was unaware of the situation. The two-time champion also claims he “did not utilize the P2P capabilities during any start or restart during the St. Petersburg race” - a fact that saved him from a disqualification.
There’s still more to come from this incident. Newgarden has yet to put out a statement on the news, but has a press conference scheduled this morning at Barber Motorsports Park. There could also be push back from other organizations, which believe manipulations of the system may have been occurring in prior seasons.
Chip Ganassi Racing team owner Chip Ganassi has already sounded off about the penalty. “I’ve emulated Roger Penske for many years on and off the track, so today’s news is quite a disappointment for me,” Ganassi told the Associated Press. “This is a blemish on his team, their organization, and the series. Very disappointing as a fellow owner and competitor in the series.”
This is the second penalty scandal to hit Team Penske this year. The company’s NASCAR program caught flack early in the year when Joey Logano was seen using a webbed glove during qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
(Source(s): Jenna Fryer / Associated Press, Nathan Brown / Twitter, Jenna Fryer / Twitter)
More stories on Team Penske’s latest cheating scandal:
RACER’s Marshall Pruett gave a good explainer on what happened and how it was caught in Long Beach.
Nathan Brown of the Indy Star caught up with Cindric to get an explanation of how the team got itself in trouble.
This is the worst-case scenario for IndyCar- but it does come with a silver lining. (Jack Benyon / The Race)
2) Adrian Newey reportedly planning Red Bull exit (F1)
The newest big move of Formula 1’s current silly season has nothing to do with a driver.
Motorsport confirmed Thursday that legendary car designer Adrian Newey is set to depart from the dominant Red Bull Racing. The news was first reported by German outlet Auto Motor und Sport.
Newey is considered among the greatest car designers in F1 history, having designed title-winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull over a lengthy career. The 65-year-old’s been a fixture at Red Bull since its 2006 arrival, earning seven drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles while helping usher in the current era of dominance with Max Verstappen and the RB20.
Red Bull had just signed Newey to a new deal last year, but the organization has been embroiled in controversy through the early part of the 2024 season.
Team principal Christian Horner underwent an investigation for alleged misconduct against a female member of staff. The claims were ultimately dismissed, but talks of a power struggle between the Thai and Austrian side’s of the company remain.
It’s uncertain what ripple effects could come of a Newey exit. Verstappen is believed by many to have an exit clause in his deal - which runs through 2028 - if Helmut Marko were to leave, but it’s uncertain if there are similar provisions for Newey’s leave. As for Newey himself, Red Bull alleges he’s “contracted until at least the end of 2025” and there would likely be a lengthy gardening leave period if he is true exiting.
But whenever Newey does become available, he promises to be a popular figure in the garage. Ferrari has shown interest in the past and Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll reportedly gave Newey a big-money offer during the Saudi Arabia race weekend.
(Source(s): Filip Cleeren & Christian Nimmervoll / Motorsport)
More on Newey’s exit:
The Race’s Scott Mitchell-Malm and Mark Hughes threw together a piece explaining the talk surrounding the shock exit.
The Athletic has also written about Newey’s apparent exit. (Madeline Coleman / The Athletic)
News and Notes
NASCAR
The latest crop of NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees has been revealed, with Greg Biffle, Randy Dorton and Jack Sprague added to the Modern Era ballot. (Jim Utter / Motorsport)
Martin Truex Jr. is this week’s guest on the “12 Questions” series, where he talked about getting older, fishing and his goal of winning one more title. (Jeff Gluck / The Athletic)
Kyle Larson will pay homage to Terry Labonte with his Darlington throwback scheme. (Jayski)
This hasn’t been the year Josh Berry and the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team dreamed up so far. But Berry isn’t hitting the panic button yet. (Jim Utter / Motorsport)
IndyCar
Another Formula 2 ace is coming to IndyCar. Series veteran and European Le Mans Series driver Luca Ghiotto will join Dale Coyne Racing at both Barber Motorsports Park and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. (IndyCar.com)
Welp. It didn’t happen how he expected it, but with the Team Penske DQ from St. Pete, Arrow McLaren’s Gavin Ward earned his first win as a team principal. (Joey Barnes / Motorsport)
After his strong substitute debut in Long Beach, Formula 2 champ Theo Pourchaire admits he’s open to a full-time IndyCar switch in the future. (Joey Barnes / Motorsport)
Here are some final thoughts from the race weekend in Long Beach. (Marshall Pruett / RACER)
F1
With the F1 driver market heating up, Stake’s future ties to Audi are making it an intriguing player. (Chris Medland / RACER)
Campos Racing stole the show in Formula 2’s recent Barcelona test, going 1-2 with Isack Hadjar and Pepe Marti. (Sam Hall / Motorsport)
Ever wonder how safety cars work? Here’s a good guide and thoughts on how the process can be improved. (Madeline Coleman / The Athletic)
George Russell has a simple request for his Mercedes: Add some downforce. (Chris Medland / RACER)
McLaren has been an up-and-down organization in recent seasons. Oscar Piastri feels like the team needs to understand why its performances fluctuate so much. (Jonathan Noble / Motorsport)
His teammate, Lando Norris, believes the papaya squad is poised for another step forward with its upcoming updates. (Chris Medland / RACER)
Are you an American race fan interested in F1? The series is launching a free streaming channel that will feature race replays and highlights for F1 and its feeder series. (Filip Cleeren / Motorsport)
Sports Cars
There will be multiple driver changes when the World Endurance Championship returns to action in Spa. (Stephen Kilbey / RACER)
The DTM season kicks off this weekend at Oschersleben. Here’s a look at this year’s entry list. (Motorsport)
Mick Schumacher is unconcerned with tire warming procedures for Alpine’s Hypercar entry. He’s confident the team will optimize the process. (James Newbold / Motorsport)
Dirt
…And Indiana Sprint Week. (USAC Media)
Short Tracks
FloRacing has snagged the rights to another big race. It’ll air the Snowball Derby this December. (Matt Weaver / Short Track Scene)
Here are some final CARS Tour takeaways from Orange County Speedway. (Matt Weaver / Short Track Scene)
Moto
Yamaha is planning to trial an all-new M1 MotoGP bike next week during the post-Spanish Grand Prix test at Jerez. (German Garcia-Casanova / Motorsport)
Ducati’s GP24 bike is exceptionally quick this year, but Marc Marquez is holding pace with the machine on an old GP23. That could soon cause some headaches for the manufacturer. (Simon Patterson / The Race)
It’s been a long time since MotoGP saw an American rider. But there’s a good chance that the drought could soon end. (Simon Patterson / The Race)
KTM’s Dani Pedrosa wasn’t expecting to make a wildcard entry in the Spanish Grand Prix, but was led into the opportunity by “interesting” data from testing. (Lewis Duncan / Motorsport)
Ever wonder how wildcards work in MotoGP? This is a good explainer of what they are and how they can benefit a constructor. (Ed Hardy / Motorsport)
Rally
Those following World Rally Championship events could soon see F1-style team radio transmissions as part of the broadcast. (Tom Howard / Motorsport)
Electric Racing
Formula E has launched a new Gen3 Evo car. Here’s everything you need to know about it. (Sam Smith / The Race)
Inaugural F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia will join ERT for the Formula E Berlin rookie test next month. (Alice Holloway / The Race)
Other
On Track This Weekend
All Times ET
Friday, April 26
NASCAR
All at Dover Motor Speedway
Xfinity Series Practice: 3:00 p.m., FS2
Xfinity Series Qualifying: 3:30 p.m., FS2
ARCA Menards Series General Tire 150: 5:00 p.m., FS2
IndyCar
All at Barber Motorsports Park
IndyCar Practice: 3:40 p.m., Peacock
Dirt
World of Outlaws Sprint Cars (Knoxville Raceway): 7:15 p.m., DirtVision
World of Outlaws Late Models (Arrowhead Speedway): 7:15 p.m., DirtVision
USAC Midgets (Kokomo Speedway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
Lucas Oil Late Models (Georgetown Speedway): 6:15 p.m., FloRacing
Weekly Racing (Attica Raceway Park): 5:30 p.m., DirtVision
Weekly Racing (Utica-Rome Speedway): 6:45 p.m., FloRacing
Weekly Racing (Williams Grove Speedway): 7:00 p.m., DirtVision
MARS Late Models (Brownstown Bullring): 7:30 p.m., FloRacing
IMCA Weekly Racing (Marshalltown Speedway): 7:45 p.m., FloRacing
Short Tracks
Blizzard Series (Five Flags Speedway): 9:00 p.m., Racing America
Sports Cars
Porsche Sprint Challenge (Barber Motorsports Park): 7:45 a.m., FloRacing
Drag Racing
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals (zMAX Dragway): 8:00 a.m., NHRA.tv
Battle For The Thrones (Rockingham Dragway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
MWDRS EXTREME Texas Nationals (Xtreme Raceway Park): 3:55 p.m., FloRacing
Other
RMSHA (Bear Valley Ski Resort): 11:00 a.m., FloRacing
Saturday, April 27
NASCAR
All at Dover Motor Speedway
Cup Series Practice: 10:30 a.m., FS1/PRN
Cup Series Qualifying: 11:20 a.m., FS1/PRN
Xfinity Series BetRivers 200: 1:30 p.m., FS1/PRN
IndyCar
All at Barber Motorsports Park
IndyCar Practice: 12:15 p.m., Peacock
IndyCar Qualifying: 3:30 p.m., Peacock
Sports Cars
Porsche Sprint Challenge (Barber Motorsports Park): 7:45 a.m., FloRacing
Dirt
World of Outlaws Sprint Cars (Knoxville Raceway): 7:15 p.m., DirtVision
World of Outlaws Late Models (81 Speedway): 7:15 p.m., DirtVision
Lucas Oil Late Models (Hagerstown Speedway): 5:45 p.m., FloRacing
USAC Midgets (Kokomo Speedway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
Keith Kauffman Classic (Port Royal Speedway): 5:00 p.m., FloRacing
DWTC Modifieds & Super Stocks (Eldora Speedway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
Weekly Racing (Volusia Speedway Park): 6:00 p.m., DirtVision
Weekly Racing (Fremont Speedway): 6:00 p.m., DirtVision
Season Opener (Fonda Speedway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
Weekly Racing (Land of Legends Raceway): 6:15 p.m., DirtVision
MARS Late Models (Peoria Speedway): 7:00 p.m., FloRacing
Short Tracks
ACT & PASS Oxford Championship Series (Oxford Plains Speedway): 2:00 p.m., Racing America
Southern Super Series (Mobile International Speedway): 8:00 p.m., Racing America
NASCAR Weekly Racing (Florence Motor Speedway): 3:15 p.m., FloRacing
Spring Sizzler (Stafford Motor Speedway): 3:30 p.m., FloRacing
NASCAR Weekly Racing (Berlin Raceway): 4:00 p.m., FloRacing
NASCAR Weekly Racing (Langley Speedway): 5:00 p.m., FloRacing
NASCAR Season Opener (Jennerstown Speedway): 5:45 p.m., FloRacing
NASCAR Weekly Racing (Hickory Motor Speedway): 7:00 p.m., FloRacing
Vores Compacts (Anderson Speedway): 7:00 p.m., Racing America
Northwest Super Lae Model Series (Wenatchee Valley Super Oval): 10:00 p.m., Racing America
JEGS CRA All-Stars Tour (Berlin Raceway): TBD, Racing America
Moto
MotoGP Sprint (Jerez): 9:00 a.m., Max with B/R Sports Add-On
Monster Energy Supercross (Philadelphia): 3:00 p.m., Peacock
American Flat Track (Texas Motor Speedway): 4:30 p.m., FlORacing
Drag Racing
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals (zMAX Dragway): 8:00 a.m., NHRA.tv
Battle For The Thrones (Rockingham Dragway): 6:00 p.m., FloRacing
MWDRS EXTREME Texas Nationals (Xtreme Raceway Park): 3:55 p.m., FloRacing
Other
RMSHA (Bear Valley Ski Resort): 11:00 a.m., FloRacing
Sunday, April 28
NASCAR
All at Dover Motor Speedway
Cup Series Wurth 400: 2:00 p.m., FS1/PRN
IndyCar
All at Barber Motorsports Park
IndyCar Warmup: 10:15 a.m., Peacock
Indy NXT Race: 11:15 a.m., Peacock
IndyCar Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix: 1:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock
Sports Cars
British GT Silverstone 500 (Silverstone Circuit): 7:00 a.m., GTWorld on YouTube
Porsche Sprint Challenge (Barber Motorsports Park): 7:45 a.m., FloRacing
Dirt
Lucas Oil Late Models (Port Royal Speedway): 5:00 p.m., FloRacing
MARS Late Models (East Moline Speedway): 5:30 p.m., FloRacing
Short Tracks
ACT & PASS Oxford Championship Series (Oxford Plains Speedway): 1:30 p.m., Racing America
Spring Sizzler (Stafford Motor Speedway): 3:30 p.m., FloRacing
Moto
Moto3 Race (Jerez): 5:00 a.m., Max with B/R Sports Add-On
Moto2 Race (Jerez): 6:15 a.m., Max with B/R Sports Add-On
MotoGP Race (Jerez): 8:00 a.m., Max with B/R Sports Add-On
Drag Racing
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals (zMAX Dragway): 8:00 a.m., NHRA.tv
Fast Fact
Qualifying is key to success when IndyCar ventures to Barber Motorsports Park. Nine of the 13 series races at the Alabama road course have been won from third or better on the starting grid. Of the other four winners, two started in the top-five and none started worse than ninth.
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