Roger Penske Admits Team Failed Indy 500 Rules

Roger Penske responded to new rules violations involving Team Penske cars at the Indianapolis 500, saying, “We let people down.” The controversy began during qualifying for the 2025 Indy 500, when officials discovered that both the No. 12 and No. 2 Penske cars had illegal modifications to their rear attenuators.

Because of the breach, both entries were penalized and sent to the back of the field for this year’s race. Team Penske also faced additional sanctions beyond the grid penalty.

Immediately following the news, Team Penske made sweeping management changes. On Wednesday, the team confirmed the departures of long-time IndyCar president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and general manager Kyle Moyer.

All three had worked with Penske for decades. Penske said he was “totally disappointed” and described the situation as hurting him “in his gut.”

He added that, after buying Indianapolis Motor Speedway and taking control of the series nearly five years ago, his intention was to improve the sport’s standards and reputation. Penske acknowledged two major failures by his organization and told fans he believes the team fell short of their expectations.

Penske pushed back on that idea, explaining he does not participate in officiating, race control, or inspection activities. He stated he keeps his distance from decisions about the rules and maintains transparency about oversight.

Penske stressed that he must protect the “credibility of the series, the teams, and the fans that follow IndyCar.” He also revealed that changes to technical inspection and the independence of the rules process have been discussed internally for several months.

He mentioned working with Mark Miles, CEO of IndyCar, and Doug Bowles, president of the Speedway, to review procedures so that technical scrutiny is managed more independently from the racing teams in the future.

Details about the technical breach emerged soon after the penalties. Josef Newgarden and Will Power both had modified attenuators, safety components located at the rear of the car.

Nine altered attenuators were traced back to the start of the 2024 season and rotated among Penske’s fleet for over a year. Newgarden’s car, which won the 2024 Indy 500, had one of those parts but passed full post-race inspection and was ruled legal at that time.

Officials and Penske agreed the rule infringement provided no proven performance benefit, but they agreed the modification must not have occurred. More on the specifics of the modified parts was reported shortly after the incident.

Penske said he spoke with all IndyCar team owners after the news broke. He shared that he felt responsible for safeguarding the sport’s reputation and promised to help restore public trust.

Penske said, “I have to take the role on… and gain back that credibility,” making clear that future success depends on maintaining fair competition and transparency for all competitors at the Speedway.

The fallout continues as the IndyCar community closely watches how the series responds. With the next Indianapolis 500 approaching and Team Penske majorly restructured, fans and industry experts are waiting to see if the team can recover and if proposed changes in inspection and governance will be implemented soon.

Penske’s goal remains clear: to keep the Indy 500 and the IndyCar Series among the world’s most respected racing events.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.