Sat May 24 13:40:00 UTC 2025: **IndyCar Shakes Up Indy 500 Grid: Penske Cars Penalized for Unapproved Part Modifications**
**Indianapolis, IN** – A controversy has erupted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Team Penske drivers Josef Newgarden and Will Power were penalized and relegated to the back of the Indy 500 starting grid for using modified rear attenuators. The penalty came after IndyCar officials discovered the unapproved modifications during pre-qualifying inspections, raising questions about the series’ tech inspection process.
The rear attenuator, a rectangular piece crucial for absorbing impact in crashes, is a standardized part on all IndyCars. According to Motorsport Consultant Bozi Tatarevic, the modifications, involving smoothing out the edges of bonded panels on the attenuator, appear to have been implemented for aesthetic reasons, with Team Penske reportedly unhappy with the appearance of the glued-on panels.
While experts suggest the modifications likely offered no performance advantage, IndyCar rule 14.7.8.16.1 explicitly prohibits modifications to the attenuator. According to multiple sources in the IndyCar paddock, the modifications were discovered after reports from other competitors to the IndyCar technical department urging them to check the Team Penske cars, suggesting that the modified attenuators had been in use since early 2024, going unnoticed by technical inspectors for over a season.
“The best case scenario for enforcing this rule would have been for IndyCar officials to catch the changes when they first appeared on track last season and penalize them with a monetary or points fine at that time similar to what we see for Prema’s recent penalty for modifying a spec part. ” explains Tatarevic, “Since this modified part was missed for so long and only discovered at IMS this week, IndyCar technical officials also had the option to tell Team Penske to swap the parts for conforming ones during any of the earlier technical inspections during the week.”
Following the discovery, IndyCar officials were reportedly divided on the appropriate penalty. While rules dictate that the cars should have retained their positions within the Top 12, series officials exercised discretion to levy a harsher penalty due to the high profile nature of the event. Some in the racing community are calling for harsher penalties, including potential removal of past wins for cars using the modified part, but industry observers suggest those actions would be too extreme.
Scott McLaughlin, who initially qualified on pole, was not penalized as his car was found to have a compliant attenuator, from the latest batch that had come from Dallara and no modifications were made to it.
The controversy throws a shadow over the lead-up to the Indy 500 and underscores the importance of rigorous technical inspection and transparent communication within the sport. IndyCar officials will need to address the inspection process to prevent future incidents.
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