Current:Home > reviewsIndyCar disqualifies Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin from St. Pete podium finishes -MarketLink
IndyCar disqualifies Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin from St. Pete podium finishes
View
Date:2025-04-15 03:16:28
Team Penske's pair of podium finishers from the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg have been disqualified − with its third entry docked 10 points − after IndyCar officials deemed the team to have violated rules around the use of its push-to-pass system for the race held 45 days ago.
Josef Newgarden, who led 92 of 100 laps to win from the pole, and Scott McLaughlin, who finished third, have free-fallen out of the top-10 in IndyCar's early title race after the penalties, which gave Pato O'Ward and Arrow McLaren the victory − the driver and team's first since July 2022 at Iowa.
IndyCar says it first discovered a possible rules violation during Sunday morning's warmup for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which led to a deeper investigation.
"An extensive review of data from the race on the Streets of St. Petersburg revealed that Team Penske manipulated the overtake system so that the No. 2, 3 and 12 cars had the ability to use Push to Pass on starts and restarts," the series' release Wednesday morning read. "According to the IndyCar rulebook, use of overtake is not available during championship races until the car reaches the alternate start-finish line."
In a statement posted to X, Team Penske president Tim Cindric explained that the team had not removed the push-to-pass software it had been using during preseason hybrid testing ahead of the season-opener that allowed for early deployment, leading to the rules violation. During the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club two weeks after St. Pete, drivers were allowed to engage push-to-pass immediately upon starts and restarts, so after the violation wasn't detected at St. Pete, Long Beach would've been the next logical chance for IndyCar's technical inspection crew to discover the inequity.
IndyCar's review determined that Newgarden and McLaughlin both gained a competitive advantage from early use of push-to-pass during starts and restarts at St. Pete, while Will Power did not − leading to his No. 12 entry only being docked 10 points, from a championship standpoint. Interestingly, with Power moving up two spots from fourth to second (and gaining eight points in the process), he only lost two points in totality, compared to where he was sitting post-Long Beach.
"Team Penske accepts the penalties applied by IndyCar," the end of Cindric's statement read.
The team's namesake, Roger Penske, owns the IndyCar series.
veryGood! (4929)
Related
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Uganda's Vanessa Nakate says COP26 sidelines nations most affected by climate change
- Go Hands-Free With 70% Off Deals on Coach Backpacks and Belt Bags
- Russia hits western Ukraine city of Lviv with deadly strike as nuclear plant threat frays nerves in the east
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- The Personal Reason Why Taraji P. Henson Is So Open About Her Mental Health
- Inside a front-line Ukraine clinic as an alleged Russian cluster bomb strike delivers carnage
- How Love Is Blind's Chelsea Reacted to Watching Micah and Kwame’s Pool Scene on TV
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Britt Robertson Marries Paul Floyd in Star-Studded Ceremony
Ranking
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Weekend storms bring damage to parts of Southern U.S.
- At least 51 people killed in road accident in western Kenya, 32 injured, police and Red Cross say
- Benny watched his house drift away. Now, his community wants better storm protection
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Surprise! The Bachelor's Madison Prewett Just Added More Styles to Her Clothing Collaboration
- These Portuguese kids are suing 33 European countries to force them to cut emissions
- Perfect Match Star Savannah Palacio Shares Her Practical Coachella Essentials
Recommendation
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
For World Health Day 2023, Shop These 17 Ways to Enhance Your Self Care Routine
Aftermath (2020)
Shakira Asks for Privacy for Her and Gerard Piqué's Sons After Difficult Year
All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
See How Nick Cannon's 11 Kids Celebrated Easter
Here's Why So Many of Your Favorite TV Shows Are Ending Early
Get a Perfect Eyeliner Wing With Zero Effort When You Use This Stamp That Has 20,000+ 5-Star Reviews