INDIANAPOLIS — Team Penske’s quest for a 21st Indianapolis 500 win got a little bit harder on Sunday (May 18).
The cars of both Josef Newgarden and Will Power failed the pre-qualification technical inspection prior to the Fast 12. According to INDYCAR, there was a body-fit violation on the rear attenuator on both cars. As a result, both cars withdrew from trying to make a run to advance into the Fast 6 and will start in row 4.
Team President and Newgarden’s strategist Tim Cindric told FOX Sports Power’s No. 12 car had passed the inspection, but that it was the defending Indy 500 champion’s car that peaked INDYCAR’s interest.
“As the [No.] 2 car went through inspection, it was pointed out that basically the officials didn’t like what you saw on the television there,” Cindric said. “There was a blending there on the attenuator. We decided, the [No.] 12 car, let’s go look at that, and the 12 car was the same way.
“So there was really no reason to run the 12 car knowing it was like the [No.] 2 car, and they didn’t like the 2 car.”
So Penske pulled Power’s car from the Fast 12 grid on pit road, took it back to the paddock and withdrew the 2018 Indy 500 winner from going for the pole.
“I, in fact, went back and looked at the [No.] 3 car [Scott McLaughlin] from this morning, and it didn’t have that [the attenuator issue],” Cindric said. “So there’s a bit of a randomness internally there that we need to sort out. It’s a shame we didn’t give our guys a chance to go for it.”
This disqualification occurred just a few hours after Penske driver McLaughlin wrecked in practice, with his destroyed racecar preventing him from competing in the Fast 12 as well. So McLaughlin will join his two Penske teammates in Row 4 for the Indy 500.
Michael Massie joined Frontstretch in 2017 and has served as the Content Director since 2020.
Massie, a Richmond, Va., native, has covered NASCAR, IndyCar, SRX and the CARS Tour. Outside of motorsports, the Virginia Tech grad and Green Bay Packers minority owner can be seen cheering on his beloved Hokies and Packers.