Penske Fires Key Personnel Amid indy 500 Cheating Scandal
Indianapolis, In. — Roger Penske,owner of Team penske,IndyCar,Indianapolis Motor Speedway,and the Indy 500,has terminated the employment of three key figures: Team president Tim Cindric,IndyCar Managing Director Ron Ruzewski,and IndyCar General manager Kyle Moyer. The dismissals follow an Indianapolis 500 cheating scandal that has rocked the racing world.
The scandal emerged ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, when two-time defending champion Josef Newgarden and teammate Will Power were found to have an illegally modified part on their cars.
- Neither driver was allowed to qualify.
- Both were relegated to the back of the field, starting 32nd and 33rd, respectively.
- Rival teams argued that the penalty was insufficient, citing this as the second cheating scandal in two seasons.
- The illegal modifications perhaps displaced Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing from the field.
Did you know? The rear attenuator, the part in question, is a safety device designed to absorb and reduce the force of impacts. Modifications were suspected to provide an aerodynamic advantage.
IndyCar had already suspended cindric and Ruzewski for the race and fined both teams $100,000. This marks the second consecutive year they have been suspended from The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
The controversy began before the fast 12 shootout on Sunday, with Chip Ganassi, among other team owners, accusing Team Penske of cheating. the accusations centered on unapproved changes to the rear attenuator.
Pro Tip: Aerodynamic advantages,even minor ones,can substantially impact qualifying times and race performance in IndyCar racing.
Nothing is more crucial than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,
Penske said in a wednesday statement.
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.
Roger Penske
This is not the first time Team Penske has faced such allegations. One year prior,the team was embroiled in a push-to-pass scandal. Josef Newgarden was found to have accessed an additional boost of horsepower improperly at the season-opener. He was stripped of his win, and Penske suspended Cindric for two races, including the Indy 500.
Reader Question: How do these scandals impact the overall perception of IndyCar racing among fans and sponsors?
Tim cindric’s dismissal is particularly noteworthy.A member of the Team Penske Hall of Fame, he had been with the organization since 2000, serving as President of Penske Racing inc. He was elevated to President of Penske Performance in 2005, overseeing the day-to-day operations of Penske’s racing properties until February of this year. While he relinquished many roles in February, he remained president of the IndyCar program.Cindric is also the father of NASCAR driver Austin Cindric.
