IndyCar exploring independent governing body that doesn't include Penske employees
Visitors to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum watch the "Starting Grid Experience" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
President of Team Penske Tim Cindric, left and driver Josef Newgarden wait for the start of during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The winning car that Josef Newgarden drove to victory in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 is shown in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/\Michael Conroy)
The winning car that Josef Newgarden drove to victory in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 is shown in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/\Michael Conroy)
Visitors to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum watch the "Starting Grid Experience" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
President of Team Penske Tim Cindric, left and driver Josef Newgarden wait for the start of during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The winning car that Josef Newgarden drove to victory in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 is shown in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/\Michael Conroy)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar is exploring the creation of an independent governing body absent of any Roger Penske employees in the wake of the Team Penske cheating scandal ahead of the Indianapolis 500.
Penske owns three-car Team Penske, IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. On Wednesday, he fired his top three racing executives after two of its cars were found to be illegal ahead of the second round of Indy 500 qualifying.
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It has since been shown that the spec part Team Penske had modified on the cars of two-time defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden and Will Power had been done so for some time. Both Newgarden's winning car from his 2024 victory that is displayed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum and the one he took to the White House last month have the same modified part.
Rival teams claim they have photos of the Penske cars with the modifications dating some time, and others have claimed they told IndyCar technical inspectors the Penske cars were not legal.
'We want to ensure that we have an officiating entity that has no ability for folks to say it's got influence from Roger Penske," said Doug Boles, named president of IndyCar in February while already holding the title of president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Since IndyCar caught Newgarden and Power's cars Sunday — with help of complaints from rival teams — the fellow competitors have alleged the Penske cars get preferential treatment because they are owned by Penske. They have also questioned how it wasn't discovered Saturday when Penske's three cars locked into the race, and are publicly wondering if the cars were legal at the time.
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Optics of favoritism have dogged Penske since he purchased all things Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2020 because everyone who runs an arm of his organization is paid by Roger Penske. Late Wednesday, new IndyCar president Doug Boles, who is also president of the speedway, said there is an evaluation of bringing in outside governance in the future.
'We have been working very, very hard to create an entity, an officiating entity, and by officiating I mean race control and tech inspection and an entity that is completely removed from anything that has to do with Penske entertainment, or Roger Penske or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the IndyCar series,' Boles said.
Boles also said one of the reasons the cars were not caught with the illegal modification is because the change had been made to the rear attenuator, a safety piece that is prohibited from being altered because it could compromise its abilities. Therefore, the part isn't routinely checked because IndyCar inspector assume teams want their cars to be safe.
NASCAR is governed by the France family, which owns the series and most of its track. Race control and the competition department are NASCAR employees. NASCAR does not field any cars.
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Formula 1 has an independent governance in the FIA. F1 owns only the commercial rights to the series, while the FIA has full control of how the series is governed.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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