INDYCAR announced Monday that both Josef Newgarden and Will Power of Team Penske will start Sunday’s Greatest Spectacle In Racing from the back in 32nd and 33rd.
In addition, INDYCAR announced that the strategists for both cars have been suspended for the race.
INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J Douglas Boles says:
The integrity of the Indianapolis 500 is paramount, and this violation of the INDYCAR rule against modification to this part and using it ‘as supplied’ is clear. “The penalty should be more than simply starting where the cars might have qualified anyway, if given the opportunity. The cars belong in the field as two of the fastest 33; however, starting on the tail of the field is the appropriate penalty in this instance.”
Both cars will forfeit Indianapolis 500 qualification points and each entry has been fined $100,000.
Car Nos. 2 and 12 also will forfeit their pit positions and will select their pit boxes after the remainder of the field has an opportunity to adjust accordingly.
Boles continued:
“The positive momentum around the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500 has been on a steep crescendo over the last several months, and we want it to be clear that our intent is to maintain that momentum and discourage teams from putting INDYCAR in positions where it calls into the integrity of our officiating and the levelness of the playing field. “As we look to the remainder of the week and the race this weekend, we will do everything we can to make it clear that this is not only the best racing on the planet but racing where the best win under completely fair conditions.”