Team Penske suspend four key personnel following push-to-pass IndyCar scandal

Roger Penske has suspended a number of key personnel from his own IndyCar team following the recent push-to-pass scandal.

Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden was disqualified from the Firestone Grand prix of St. Petersberg after IndyCar found that his push-to-pass system had been manipulated.

IndyCar officials found six weeks after the event that it was illegally used on starts and restarts, aiding Newgarden’s chances.

Newgarden lost his victory, while Scott McLaughlin was also disqualified.

Will Power was also handed a penalty, but as he was found not to use the system illegally, he wasn’t excluded from the results.

Penske has suspended the team’s president, Tim Cindric, and managing director, Ron Ruzewski.

They will be forced to sit out the next two IndyCar rounds - the Sonsio Grand Prix and the Indy500 later this month.

Number two race engineer Luke Mason and senior data engineer Robbie Atkinson have also been suspended.

“I recognise the magnitude of what occurred and the impact it continues to have on the sport to which I’ve dedicated so many decades,” Penske said.

“Everyone at Team Penske along with our fans and business partners should know that I apologise for the errors that were made and I deeply regret them.”

A statement from Team Penske was also released:  “Following the penalties to the Team Penske INDYCAR team and drivers after Long Beach, Team Penske has completed an internal review.

“After a full and comprehensive analysis of the information, Team Penske has determined that there were significant failures in our processes and internal communications. As a result, Luke Mason [No. 2 Race Engineer] and Robbie Atkinson [Senior Data Engineer] will be suspended from Team Penske for the next two INDYCAR races including the Indianapolis 500.

“In addition, Ron Ruzewski [Managing Director, Team Penske INDYCAR] will also be suspended for these two races, along with Tim Cindric [President of Team Penske], who has accountability for all of Team Penske’s operations.”