Latest news with #Boles
Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
IndyCar working to implement partial scanning into tech inspection process
DETROIT — With the assistance of Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti Global, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Arrow McLaren and Dallara, IndyCar president Doug Boles said the series has begun to explore a partial scanning process for its tech inspection process that will "advance" IndyCar's ability to ensure all cars are competing on a level playing field. A week ago, in the wake of Team Penske's pair of Indianapolis 500 pre-Fast 12 tech inspection failures and the ensuing firestorm of penalties, firings and paddock-wide controversy, Boles was asked whether implementing scanning in IndyCar's pre- and post-session tech inspection process, something that both IMSA and NASCAR use, could offer an easy fix to ensure something like Penske's out-of-compliance attenuators that have existed for well over a year wouldn't get missed. At the time, the series president said that due to the fact the cars in use have been made over such a long period of time, it might prove ineffective until a new car came online in 2027 at the earliest. Boles said Friday that IndyCar in recent days made progress in at least a partial-scanning process the series hopes to validate over a couple more races the rest of this season. "(Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti Global, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Arrow McLaren) provided their Indianapolis 500 cars for us to use this week for scanning verification. This was extra work for their crews after a very busy weekend, and Iappreciate their support," Boles said. "We learned quite a bit in the exercise and are targeting at least two more events this year where we can validate the process and our learnings and continue to advance our technical inspection process in the future." Additionally, Boles noted that IndyCar had had "productive dialogue" with Andretti Global and Prema Racing in the wake of the post-race tech inspection penalties levied against both teams less than 24 hours after the completion of the 500. Andretti's Nos. 27 (Kyle Kirkwood) and 28 (Marcus Ericsson) cars that finished sixth and second were found to have modified the Dallara-supplied Energy Management System covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts. Prema's No. 90 car (Callum Ilott) was found post-race to have a left side front wing endplate that didn't reach minimum height. Prema noted immediately on Monday that it accepted the penalties, while Andretti Global triggered a review process this week before saying Friday that it accepted IndyCar's penalties "after careful analysis with IndyCar" and wouldn't pursue any further review or appeals. Along with the cars being shifted to the back of the finishing order for the 500 (31st through 33rd) and seeing their prize money and championship points from the event shift to correspond with their final finishing spots, each of the three penalized cars were fined $100,000, and team managers on the cars were suspended for the Detroit Grand Prix. Insider: Indy 500 broadcast hit 17-year high. What comes next is important for IndyCar's growth In his Friday statement, Boles thanked both teams for sharing in "transparent and open conversations regarding how the mistakes were made."
USA Today
6 days ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
IndyCar hits Team Penske with penalties for illegally modifying cars in Indy 500 qualifying
IndyCar hits Team Penske with penalties for illegally modifying cars in Indy 500 qualifying Show Caption Hide Caption IndyCar president Boles gives update on Team Penske cars IndyCar president Doug Boles shares update on the two Team Penske cars getting pulled from qualifying. INDIANAPOLIS -- IndyCar has moved the Nos. 2 and 12 cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power to the 32nd and 33rd spots on the grid for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 following Team Penske's violations during pre-Fast 12 qualifying tech inspection, where IndyCar technical director Kevin Blanch found the team had illegally modified seams in the cars' attenuators by filling in gaps that may have given them an aerodynamic advantage. After not logging attempts during Sunday's Fast 12, Newgarden and Power were initially set to start 11th and 12th on Sunday's grid, respectively. "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,' IndyCar president Doug Boles said in a news release. '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.' Since the incident, IndyCar officials investigated whether the No. 3 of Scott McLaughlin, which crashed during early afternoon practice and failed to make a qualifying attempt in the Fast 12, also had a legally prepared attenuator. IndyCar impounded the car's attenuator and deemed it to have been legal and unmodified. Therefore, the series said, the No. 3 will maintain it's 10th-place starting spot on the grid. IndyCar has also suspended the team strategists for the Nos. 2 and 12 entries for the remainder of Indy 500 activities, and both cars will forfeit their points earned in qualifying. Both entries have also been fined $100,000. Both cars will also forfeit their pit positions and will select their pit boxes for the race after the remainder of the field has had the opportunity to adjust their picks. "The positive momentum around the 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 question the integrity of our officiating and the levelness of the playing field,' Boles said in a release. '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.' Editor's note: This story was updated to correct the status of McLaughlin's attenuator.
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
'Absolutely it's a miss' Team Penske wasn't caught sooner, says IndyCar chief
FILE PHOTO: May 28, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles gives a thumbs up before 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo REUTERS May 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin (3) makes his way out of turn one Monday, May 19, 2025, during practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mykal McEldowney-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images REUTERS IndyCar president Doug Boles said Wednesday that "absolutely it's a miss" that Team Penske raced with modified attenuators for at least a year before an IndyCar tech team member finally caught the infraction Sunday prior to qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. An attenuator is placed in the rear of each Indy Car solely for safety reasons, to absorb energy when a car crashes into a wall backward. For this reason, per Boles, attenuators are not allowed to be tampered with. While there is visual and anecdotal evidence that Team Penske drivers have been racing with smoothed rear attentuators for at least a year - including on the car driven by Josef Newgarden when he won last year's Indy 500 winner - they did not get caught until Sunday. According to Boles, rear attentuators have zero effect on how fast a car goes. And with a limited time to inspect each car, IndyCar's tech teams focus on the car parts that might give a driver an unfair advantage during a race. "On Sunday, when the 12 cars that were in the Fast 12 were presented in the tech line, we had a 30-minute window to get 12 cars through tech," Boles said Wednesday. "On parts that are specifically designed for safety, our team and tech does not, on a regular basis, look at those, and this is one of those parts that was not looked at until it was seen on Sunday. Is that a miss? Absolutely it's a miss. Is it a part that everybody should be exposed to at every event, (and) if they've changed it, they're outside of the rules? One hundred percent." On Sunday, Team Penske was caught because, according to Boles, IndyCar technical director Kevin "Rocket" Blanch noticed during inspection that the attenuator on Team Penske driver Will Power's No. 12 car had been smoothed over. Then he checked the attenuator on Newgarden's No. 2 car and discovered the same illegality. Their penalty for the illegal modifications included being sent to the back of the official starting grid for Sunday's Indy 500. Newgarden and Power will be in the 11th and final row when the 33 drivers hit the track. Earlier Wednesday, Roger Penske - who owns Team Penske, IndyCar, the Indy 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- fired Team Penske director Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer for "organizational failures." According to an Associated Press report, some competitors accused Team Penske of cheating with their adjusted attenuators. They believed the smoothed part allowed Penske's drivers to have an edge while qualifying. "This is not an investigation as far as I'm concerned, but ... we are going to continue to understand how the process failed and how we can make it better," Boles said. "And the most important thing we have to do is make sure that, A, our drivers stay safe, but B, that the levelness of the playing field can't be called into question, and when a team or a driver is on track and they get beaten by somebody or they beat somebody, that neither one of those teams can say they did it because they got an advantage because tech missed something." --Field Level Media REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Boles: 'Absolutely it's a miss' Team Penske wasn't caught sooner
May 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin (3) makes his way out of turn one Monday, May 19, 2025, during practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mykal McEldowney-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images IndyCar president Doug Boles said Wednesday that "absolutely it's a miss" that Team Penske raced with modified attenuators for at least a year before an IndyCar tech team member finally caught the infraction Sunday prior to qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. An attenuator is placed in the rear of each Indy Car solely for safety reasons, to absorb energy when a car crashes into a wall backward. For this reason, per Boles, attenuators are not allowed to be tampered with. While there is visual and anecdotal evidence that Team Penske drivers have been racing with smoothed rear attentuators for at least a year - including on the car driven by Josef Newgarden when he won last year's Indy 500 winner - they did not get caught until Sunday. According to Boles, rear attentuators have zero effect on how fast a car goes. And with a limited time to inspect each car, IndyCar's tech teams focus on the car parts that might give a driver an unfair advantage during a race. "On Sunday, when the 12 cars that were in the Fast 12 were presented in the tech line, we had a 30-minute window to get 12 cars through tech," Boles said Wednesday. "On parts that are specifically designed for safety, our team and tech does not, on a regular basis, look at those, and this is one of those parts that was not looked at until it was seen on Sunday. Is that a miss? Absolutely it's a miss. Is it a part that everybody should be exposed to at every event, (and) if they've changed it, they're outside of the rules? One hundred percent." On Sunday, Team Penske was caught because, according to Boles, IndyCar technical director Kevin "Rocket" Blanch noticed during inspection that the attenuator on Team Penske driver Will Power's No. 12 car had been smoothed over. Then he checked the attenuator on Newgarden's No. 2 car and discovered the same illegality. Their penalty for the illegal modifications included being sent to the back of the official starting grid for Sunday's Indy 500. Newgarden and Power will be in the 11th and final row when the 33 drivers hit the track. Earlier Wednesday, Roger Penske - who owns Team Penske, IndyCar, the Indy 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- fired Team Penske director Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer for "organizational failures." According to an Associated Press report, some competitors accused Team Penske of cheating with their adjusted attenuators. They believed the smoothed part allowed Penske's drivers to have an edge while qualifying. "This is not an investigation as far as I'm concerned, but ... we are going to continue to understand how the process failed and how we can make it better," Boles said. "And the most important thing we have to do is make sure that, A, our drivers stay safe, but B, that the levelness of the playing field can't be called into question, and when a team or a driver is on track and they get beaten by somebody or they beat somebody, that neither one of those teams can say they did it because they got an advantage because tech missed something." --Field Level Media
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Boles: 'Absolutely it's a miss' Team Penske wasn't caught sooner
FILE PHOTO: May 28, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles gives a thumbs up before 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo REUTERS May 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin (3) makes his way out of turn one Monday, May 19, 2025, during practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mykal McEldowney-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images REUTERS IndyCar president Doug Boles said Wednesday that "absolutely it's a miss" that Team Penske raced with modified attenuators for at least a year before an IndyCar tech team member finally caught the infraction Sunday prior to qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. An attenuator is placed in the rear of each Indy Car solely for safety reasons, to absorb energy when a car crashes into a wall backward. For this reason, per Boles, attenuators are not allowed to be tampered with. While there is visual and anecdotal evidence that Team Penske drivers have been racing with smoothed rear attentuators for at least a year - including on the car driven by Josef Newgarden when he won last year's Indy 500 winner - they did not get caught until Sunday. According to Boles, rear attentuators have zero effect on how fast a car goes. And with a limited time to inspect each car, IndyCar's tech teams focus on the car parts that might give a driver an unfair advantage during a race. "On Sunday, when the 12 cars that were in the Fast 12 were presented in the tech line, we had a 30-minute window to get 12 cars through tech," Boles said Wednesday. "On parts that are specifically designed for safety, our team and tech does not, on a regular basis, look at those, and this is one of those parts that was not looked at until it was seen on Sunday. Is that a miss? Absolutely it's a miss. Is it a part that everybody should be exposed to at every event, (and) if they've changed it, they're outside of the rules? One hundred percent." On Sunday, Team Penske was caught because, according to Boles, IndyCar technical director Kevin "Rocket" Blanch noticed during inspection that the attenuator on Team Penske driver Will Power's No. 12 car had been smoothed over. Then he checked the attenuator on Newgarden's No. 2 car and discovered the same illegality. Their penalty for the illegal modifications included being sent to the back of the official starting grid for Sunday's Indy 500. Newgarden and Power will be in the 11th and final row when the 33 drivers hit the track. Earlier Wednesday, Roger Penske - who owns Team Penske, IndyCar, the Indy 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- fired Team Penske director Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer for "organizational failures." According to an Associated Press report, some competitors accused Team Penske of cheating with their adjusted attenuators. They believed the smoothed part allowed Penske's drivers to have an edge while qualifying. "This is not an investigation as far as I'm concerned, but ... we are going to continue to understand how the process failed and how we can make it better," Boles said. "And the most important thing we have to do is make sure that, A, our drivers stay safe, but B, that the levelness of the playing field can't be called into question, and when a team or a driver is on track and they get beaten by somebody or they beat somebody, that neither one of those teams can say they did it because they got an advantage because tech missed something." --Field Level Media REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
