INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — As the latest round of Team Penske cheating allegations swirled through Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the president of the IndyCar team stood outside the garage to address the illegal modifications discovered on two of its cars.
Lurking over Tim Cindric’s shoulder was a random race fan wearing what appeared to be a Team Penske branded shirt.
It was not: Like Josef Newgarden and Will Power’s cars for the Indianapolis 500, the shirt had been modified. It read: “Team Cheaters” with the Penske logo bar.
Perception isn’t necessarily reality, but Roger Penske has a serious perception problem now that his team has been swept up in scandal for the second time in just over a year.
The first time, it was the discovery last April that the Penske drivers had access to the push-to-pass system when they should not have been able to use the extra horsepower boost. On Sunday, during the second day of qualifying for the 109th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” it was discovered that Newgarden and Power’s cars had an illegally modified part.