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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Indy 500 runner up among 3 IndyCar penalizes for failed tech: Penalties and why
INDIANAPOLIS — Three top-12 finishers from Sunday's Indianapolis 500 have been moved to the back of the field for a series of post-race penalties including failed tech inspection and team member improper conduct. Despite finishing runner-up in the Indy 500 for the second time in three years, Andretti Global's Marcus Ericsson has been bumped back to 31st in the final standings. Along with his teammate Kyle Kirkwood, both the Nos. 27 and 28 Andretti Global cars were discovered in post-race tech inspection to have modified their Dallara-supplied Energy Management System covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts. According to an IndyCar release, EMS covers "must be used as supplied," with the series stating "these modifications provided the capability of enhanced aerodynamic efficiency to both cars." Why were Marcus Ericsson, Kyle Kirkwood penalized after Indy 500? The two cars were in violation of the following rules: Advertisement Rule 9.3.1. Improper Conduct – Any member attempting to or engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct, unsafe conduct, or conduct detrimental to racing; INDYCAR; and/or to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, whether during an Event or on/off the Track, may be subject to any or all penalties. Rule 14.1.2. Questions to be submitted and will be answered via IRIS. Modifications must be approved seven (7) days prior to the date of intended use. Rule 14.1.3. All parts provided by an Approved Supplier must be used as supplied without modification unless otherwise approved by INDYCAR and stated in these Rules or in update bulletins. Ericsson will now be credited with a 31st-place finish, with Kirkwood sliding back to 32nd. "We are in receipt of the Indianapolis 500 'post-race penalty notice' as provided by IndyCar," Andretti Global wrote in a statement posted to social media. "We are taking the necessary time to assess the information, and we will be requesting a full review with IndyCar." Can Andretti Global, Prema appeal IndyCar's penalties? According to IndyCar's rulebook, Andretti Global may request a review in writing, providing a list of errors they believe were made, along with accompanying facts, before designating a single point of contact for the review process. A request for review must be submitted to IndyCar within two business days. If IndyCar determines the request adheres to its rules, the series will name a review administrator who will help all sides with administrative aspects of the review. Within three business days of receiving Andretti Global's review request, IndyCar will be required to provide three potential review facilitators from a previously distributed list of possible caretakers. Advertisement Andretti Global will then have one business day to to name its choice for a facilitator, and IndyCar will have an additional business day to confirm the chosen facilitator's status. Provided the facilitator deems the review to adhere to the rules, a review meeting will be conducted within 10 business days of the penalty being issued. The meeting will take place at IndyCar's offices and be a single-day event of no more than four hours, unless the parties agree to a mutual change. Both sides are permitted three attendees each, and both must have one member deemed to be able to have full authority to reach a resolution of the penalty. At the end of the meeting, the facilitator will provide their thoughts concerning the penalty and whether it should be upheld, overturned or modified, but the recommendation of the facilitator is not binding. An additional appeals process exists for Andretti Global to pursue, should team officials continue to disagree with the results of the review process. Why was Callum Ilott penalized after Indy 500? Additionally, Prema Racing's No. 90 of Callum Ilott was found to have a front wing assembly that failed to meet the minimum endplate height and location specifications during routine inspection of that part. The entry was found to have violated: Advertisement Rule 9.3.1. Improper Conduct – Any member attempting to or engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct, unsafe conduct, or conduct detrimental to racing; INDYCAR; and/or to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, whether during an Event or on/off the Track, may be subject to any or all penalties. Rule 14.7.6.8. Front wing must adhere to the following Technical Inspection dimensions: Failure of the left side minimum endplate height Rule 14.7.6.4., which requires endplates, wing flaps and mainplanes remain in the designed location. Ilott will be credited with a 33rd-place finish. In a social media post on the team's X account, Prema Racing explained that the wing was "completely original, successfully passed tech multiple times throughout the month and didn't lead to any performance gain," the car's left-side front wing endplate became non-compliant within the rules by the end of the race. "The team accepts full responsibility," Prema Racing wrote. "The team is currently investigating the root of the problem, which can involve incidents and fitment or production issues. We look forward to implementing the needed procedures to ensure improved control and avoid these kinds of issues in the future." The field will receive the appropriate prize money and championship points according to the official standings after the penalties. All three cars will each receive a $100,000 fine, and the team/competition managers for all three cars have been suspended for this weekend's Detroit Grand Prix. Advertisement Editor's note: This story was updated with team statements and information about IndyCar's appeals process. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 penalties: Marcus Ericsson, Kyle Kirkwood, Callum Ilott points, fines
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘I had that race and lost it': Marcus Ericsson places second behind Alex Palou at Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS — A look of despondence seized Marcus Ericsson's face as he took off his helmet on pit lane after crossing the finish line in the 2025 Indianapolis 500. Joy and dejection had separated themselves by .68 seconds. That was the time distance between runner-up Ericsson and champion Alex Palou. Advertisement The 34-year-old led with 14 laps remaining before Palou took advantage of an opening entering Turn 1 on Lap 186. Palou maintained his lead, preventing Ericsson from capturing his second Indy 500 in four years after winning in 2022. 'Second is a good result, but here it's not. Here, you got to win. I gave it everything and tried my best, and I'm proud of our effort, but I had that lead. I had that race and lost it,' Ericsson said. 'This race means everything to us. We have the 500 and it's what matters. So, being that close to winning, it's painful because this is what we live for; we put our lives into this.' Ericsson said he started the race strong and felt comfortable before noticing himself struggling to keep up with other drivers. He credited his team for 'never giving' up and making the necessary changes for a smoother second half of the race in which Ericsson 'felt the car come more to me.' Ericsson said two lapped cars created dirty air on the closing laps, making it hard for him to overtake Palou. He plans to review footage and evaluate what he could've done differently to navigate the two impeding cars and prevent Palou from overtaking. He admitted that he didn't expect Palou to overtake when he did. Advertisement 'Those things you play in your head a million times after the finish line — what you could've done differently,' Ericsson said. 'When you won it once, you know how that feels, and now I've been second twice. Especially the way this played out, it's going to keep me up at night for a while the way I played those last 10 for those lappers. All those questions that I need to try and accept and move on but right now it's pretty tough.' Buy our commemorative Alex Palou page print Ericsson said his recent success at the oval shows, "I'm pretty good around this place.' While Ericsson acknowledged that it won't be easy not to condemn himself after Sunday's outing, being a strong self-critic will help him learn from this loss. 'I work constantly on the (mental) side of things, but as an athlete, that's what gets me better all the time because I am a very hard critic of myself," Ericsson said. "I try to always learn from what I do so I can do it better. So, I think that's one of my strengths as well. I look at myself and say, 'What could I have done differently before blaming backmarkers (lapped cars)?'" Advertisement For Sunday, however, Ericsson is giving himself grace to lament. 'Today, I'm going to definitely beat myself up and be disappointed about it,' Ericsson said. 'But give me a few days and I'm sure I'll be doing better.' Ericsson will run in the Detroit Grand Prix on Friday, where he earned his sole podium appearance of 2024 and first IndyCar Series win. Ericsson's history in Detroit indicates he can make up for a self-proclaimed 'disappointing' time in Indianapolis. 'Detroit is my track,' said Ericsson with a smile. 'Detroit usually treats me well.' This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 2025 Indy 500 results: Marcus Ericsson had race won and lost to Alex Palou
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Really difficult moment': Doug Boles is hopeful after Indy 500 penalties, controversies
Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar Series president Doug Boles and three drivers sent to the back of the Indianapolis 500 finishing order focused on the future at Monday night's victory banquet. Boles said the controversies over the previous week — including the penalties assessed to two Team Penske cars post-qualifying — strengthened his faith in those in the paddock. Advertisement "Unfortunately, I've had to have some difficult conversations with those great teams and those great people, including last night and this morning," he said. "It's a really difficult moment for all of us. But I think it's a moment we can use to move forward." Boles said he offered Callum Ilott, Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson the chance to skip the banquet, but they showed up. Those drivers' cars failed post-race inspection and were penalized. Ilott had finished 12th but is shown 33rd; Kirkwood, from sixth to 32nd; and Ericsson from second to 31st. Boles ended his speech on a hopeful note, noting the strong TV ratings and reserved seating sellout. Advertisement "We're going to go in the right direction," he said. "If you're on board with us, you're going to have a great ride. If you're not on board with us, you better get going because we're just going up." Race earnings, total purse: How much money did Alex Palou win in the Indy 500? Ilott, who drives for Prema Racing, said he heard about his penalty midday Monday: "I was at brunch, and it was ruined, unfortunately." Ericsson and Kirkwood drive for Andretti Global. Eventual winner Alex Palou passed Ericsson with 14 laps remaining, and Kirkwood had improved 17 places from his starting spot of 23rd. Advertisement "It's been an emotional 24 hours, to say the least," said Ericsson, who was gutted on Sunday. The 2022 race winner also finished second in 2023, so he knows Indy 500 close calls. "We had an incredible car. I thought I had the best race car I've ever had," Kirkwood said. "This team is built on sportsmanship and integrity, and we'll do everything right in the future." Monday's penalties come a little more than a week after the cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power were sent from the Fast 12 to the back row of the starting grid for tech violations. After the post-race penalties, Newgarden placed 22nd and Power finished 16th. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar president addresses Indy 500 penalties, controversies
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Colton Herta 'embarrassed to be associated with' Andretti Global's Indy 500 tech failures
DETROIT — In the wake of his team's pair of severe post-race tech inspection infractions that led to a loss of its second- and sixth-place finishes in Sunday's Indianapolis 500 from teammates Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood, along with a pair of one-race suspensions and $200,000 in fines, Andretti Global driver Colton Herta said he believes it's good IndyCar has begun to seemingly hold a stricter line in its inspection process. "I'd say it's pretty embarrassing to be associated with cheating. It's something we as a team take really seriously to try and fix," Herta said Friday during his bullpen media session ahead of the Detroit Grand Prix. "It's not something I want to be involved with. It's pretty embarrassing, and it sucks." After announcing Monday afternoon following IndyCar's publication of the penalties, which came after the Nos. 27 and 28 cars were found to have modifications to the cars' Dallara-supplied Energy Management System covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts, that it had triggered IndyCar's "review" process that would follow any potential appeal, Andretti Global ultimately said Friday that it had accepted the penalties. It means team managers for the two cars in question, Josh Freund and Paul Harcus, will be absent for this weekend's on-track action. "While we are disappointed in the outcome, we will take the necessary steps to ensure full compliance moving forward, and (we) want to thank our fans, crews and sponsors who continue to support us," the team's statement read. "Our focus now shifts to the future and delivering strong, competitive results on track, beginning this weekend with the Detroit Grand Prix." At Monday evening's Indy 500 victory celebration, Ericsson, who 24 hours prior believed he'd finished runner-up in the 500 for the second time in three starts following his 2022 victory, told reporters he was clearly dejected but ultimately would accept whatever came of the team and IndyCar's review process in the coming days. "It's obviously very harsh penalties, but if that's the rules, then that's the rules," he said. "We respect the integrity of the sport. The team is looking into everything right now, so we'll see, but I'm proud of myself and proud of the team and the way we raced yesterday." Doug Boles: IndyCar working to implement partial scanning into tech inspection process In its penalty announcement, IndyCar stated Monday that the modifications at hand were deemed to have provided the cars the capability of "enhanced aerodynamic efficiency" for both cars. "This team is built on sportsmanship and integrity, and we'll do everything right in the future," Kirkwood said during his time on stage during the televised victory celebration. "Of course we're going to look into it, and this is obviously still very fresh for us.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Indianapolis 500 Final Results: The Good And The Bad For Roger Penske
The good: The 2025 Indianapolis 500 had an average viewership on Fox Sports of 7.05 million on May 25. That was the highest television ratings for the event since 2008 and up from 5.02 million in 2024, the last time NBC televised the race. It was also better that the almost 6.8 million viewers for the Daytona 500 in February, NASCAR's biggest race, also televised by Fox. Since the mid-1990s, NASCAR has dominated IndyCar racing in the United States. In the 1990s, IndyCar was split between competing series. NASCAR zoomed by. This year, on television at least, IndyCar took the lead. The bad: The Indy 500 had some embarrassments. Two cars owned by Penske, who also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series, were forced to start from the back of the race. That was because of a cheating scandal. On top of that, Marcus Ericsson, who finished second in the Indy 500, was penalized for a rules violation and officially came in 31st out of 33 cars. For Roger Penske, 88, it was at best a mixed bag. Penske has used racing to promote his transportation businesses. He's won a lot at the Indianapolis 500 races as a team owner (20, actually) and has also been a winner in NASCAR. Penske promotes a winning image, with professionalism and preparation. He owns major auto dealerships and a truck rental business. But this year, he fired three leading members of his IndyCar racing teams after the Indianapolis racing scandal. Professionalism and preparation seemed to be a thing of the past. The businessman, in a Fox Sports interview with Jamie Little, said changes may take place in IndyCar, such as a more independent body to oversee the Indy series. That remains to be seen. The IndyCar series this week moves on from Indy to a Detroit event. For now, the Indianapolis 500 is, more or less, at a high. IndyCar faces other issues. Does the series have a succession plan? Nobody outside of the series, or Penske, really knows. One addition for IndyCar in 2026 is the IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington, where Penske is joining forces with Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, 82. Then again, Penske has gotten used to working with aging business moguls. Fox Sports is controlled by Rupert Murdoch, 94.
