The Indianapolis 500, one of motorsport’s most iconic races, is facing a storm of controversy just days before the 2025 event, as a cheating scandal involving Team Penske has sent shockwaves through the IndyCar community. Chip Ganassi Racing, a powerhouse in the series, has taken a bold stand, reaching out to IndyCar officials and race stewards with confidential details that have exposed illegal modifications on Team Penske’s cars driven by Josef Newgarden and Will Power. The fallout has been swift and severe, with IndyCar issuing maximum penalties and Roger Penske himself delivering a firm verdict on the disqualifications, casting a dark cloud over the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

The scandal erupted before the Fast 12 qualifying shootout on Sunday, May 18, 2025, when rival team owner Chip Ganassi, alongside other competitors, alerted IndyCar officials to unapproved modifications on the rear attenuators of Newgarden and Power’s cars. These safety devices, designed to absorb impact forces, are spec parts supplied by Dallara and strictly prohibited from alteration under IndyCar’s rules to ensure a level playing field. The modifications, which involved filling seams with material to create a smoother surface, were presumed to offer an aerodynamic advantage, potentially boosting straight-line speed.

IndyCar’s response was decisive. After initially allowing Newgarden and Power to retain their qualifying positions, the series reversed course on Monday, May 19, following further investigation and mounting pressure from rival teams. Both drivers were relegated to the last row of the 33-car field, starting 32nd and 33rd, respectively, and each car was fined $100,000. Additionally, their race strategists were suspended for the Indy 500, and the teams forfeited qualifying points. IndyCar President Doug Boles emphasized the gravity of the violation, stating, “The integrity of the Indianapolis 500 is paramount, and this violation of the IndyCar rule against modification to this part is clear.”

The controversy deepened when journalists and fans discovered that Newgarden’s 2024 Indy 500-winning car, currently on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, bore the same illegal modification. This revelation has raised questions about the legitimacy of Team Penske’s recent successes, including Newgarden’s bid for an unprecedented third consecutive Indy 500 victory. Rival team owners, including McLaren Racing’s Zak Brown, expressed dismay, with Brown telling The Associated Press, “What a shame this cloud will continue to hover over our great race until everything is fully resolved.”

Chip Ganassi Racing’s role in uncovering the scandal has intensified the rivalry with Team Penske. Ganassi, whose team fields cars for drivers like Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, has long been a vocal advocate for fair competition. “All teams have a responsibility to uphold the integrity of the sport, and no team more than Team Penske,” Ganassi told AP, highlighting the heightened scrutiny on Penske due to their ownership of IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Indy 500 itself. This conflict of interest has fueled calls from drivers like six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon for an independent governing body to oversee the series, free from Penske’s influence.

Roger Penske, the billionaire owner with a record 20 Indy 500 victories, responded with unprecedented action on Wednesday, May 21, firing three senior Team Penske executives: team president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and general manager Kyle Moyer. In a statement, Penske said, “Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams. We have had organizational failures during the last two years, and we had to make necessary changes. I apologize to our fans, our partners, and our organization for letting them down.” The firings followed a remote team owners’ meeting where Penske took responsibility, with Arrow McLaren’s Tony Kanaan noting, “What he did in firing three people is a big deal.”

This is not Team Penske’s first brush with controversy. In 2024, the team was embroiled in a push-to-pass scandal, resulting in Newgarden’s disqualification from the season-opening race and suspensions for Cindric and Ruzewski. The recurrence of rule violations has intensified scrutiny on Penske’s operations and IndyCar’s inspection processes, with Boles admitting the modified attenuators went unnoticed because they were safety-related parts not typically scrutinized for performance advantages.

As the Indy 500 approaches on May 25, 2025, the scandal threatens to overshadow a sold-out event expected to draw nearly 350,000 fans. Robert Shwartzman’s stunning pole position for Prema Racing offers a glimmer of excitement, but the focus remains on Penske’s tarnished reputation and the broader implications for IndyCar’s governance. Will Newgarden and Power overcome their last-row starts, or will the scandal define this year’s race? One thing is certain: Chip Ganassi Racing’s vigilance has ignited a reckoning in IndyCar, and the sport’s integrity hangs in the balance.