Roger Penske gives firm verdict on Newgarden and Power's total disqualification from the Indy 500

Roger Penske has made a strong argument against Josef Newgarden and Will Power being potentially disqualified from the 109th Indy 500 on May 25. The No. 2 and No. 12 cars of the two Team Penske drivers were found to have illegally modified rear attenuators during qualifying.

The duo pulled out of Fast 12 on Sunday (May 18) because of the same. On Monday, IndyCar penalized each entry $100,000, suspended the strategists of the two cars, and pushed Newgarden and Power to the back of the grid.

On Wednesday, owner Roger Penske dropped a bombshell. He announced the axing of Team Penske's IndyCar leadership, including president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and general manager Kyle Moyer.

In an interview with reporter Jamie Little, the 88-year-old also addressed increasing calls for his drivers to be totally disqualified from the 2025 Indy 500. He said (via IndyCar On Fox on YouTube):

"Well, I don't agree. Number one, those cars went through inspection on Saturday, got the sticker, they performed in the Top 12, and were available to run on Sunday. From that point on, there was a question about our cars on Sunday. We actually pulled the cars and did not make the run because of the question from the officials. But as far as I'm concerned, they earned the right to be in the 109th running of the Indy 500."

For Josef Newgarden, this relegation to a last row starting position has nearly ruled out his pursuit of Indy 500 history. The two-time champ was chasing an unprecedented third consecutive win at the 'Greatest Spectacle of Racing', which seems impossible now unless all hell breaks loose on Sunday.

Roger Penske shares an apology to IndyCar fans for 'letting them down'

Roger Penske at the 107th Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Roger Penske and his team have been symbols of excellence in American motorsport. Under his leadership, Team Penske has won the Indy 500 a record 20 times. When his team cast a dark shadow over the sport for the second time in two years, he had to take action.

Along with axing the senior leadership on the IndyCar side, Penske issued a heartfelt apology to the fans.

"Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams. We have had organizational failures during the last two years, and we had to make necessary changes. I apologize to our fans, our partners, and our organization for letting them down." he said in a statement.

Roger Penske's team was caught in a controversy at the season opener of the 2024 IndyCar season. All three cars had an illegal modification of the push-to-pass system, which led to fans labeling them 'cheaters'.

The trio of Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, and Will Power will start 12th, 32nd, and 33rd on the grid for the 109th Indy 500 this Sunday.