Roger Penske tells Fox Sports about Indianapolis 500 scandal

Indianapolis – In an exclusive interview with Fox Sports on Wednesday, May 21st, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Team Penske owner Roger Penske discussed the youngest scandal to reach his racing team on Sunday in the qualifications of Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis.

The punishments, which were evaluated by IndyCar, the two-time and successive Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden and the Indy winner 2018, Will Power sent to the back of the field. On Wednesday morning, Penske was immediately effective by Penske Indycar President Tim Cindric, the managing director of the Penske Indycar team, Ron Ruzewski, and General Manager of Team Penske Indycar, Kyle Moyer.
The interview is broadcast exclusively on Fox Sports Social Media and was carried out by the long -standing Fox Sports reporter Jamie Little on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I just had a call to all team owners to go through the process by thinking about what measures I took because people came to me and said:” You should be a leader of this sport, and here you have these two situations, “Penske told Fox Sports.” I think the integrity of the sport; I didn't help.

“From my point of view, I have to take over the team owners together with the Penske Entertainment Leadership and regain this credibility because I know that this is the Speedway here this weekend.

“It is a world-class event, the best racing event in the world. And the last thing I want to do is to cloud it with any kind of problems from the perspective of any inspection or violations of rules.

“My thinking is that we have to do better. I have to help to do this in a way that I cannot influence anything useful for our team.”

Penske also said how much effort was made to bring the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the Indycar back into the worldwide importance.

Now it has to overcome the latest scandal.

“Well, Jamie, I would say that I am completely disappointed on Sunday,” said Penske in the interview. “I really have to return four and a half ago when we bought the Speedway, and I said number one that I would invest capital, I get the best people and we take the series IMP (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Productions) and certainly in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to a higher level. I think we did.

“Then I look at my right hand and say what about Team Penske? And when I think of Team Penske, we really had an organizational error twice, but not even twice. And believe me that it hurts in my stomach when you think about it.

“But I consider it that there is a certain credibility that you have to have. It is integrity, individual and together our team, sport.

“I think we let the people down. I have made some management changes that we announced today. I think we'll go on. And our goal is to win the race next weekend.”

Little asked Penske if it is a conflict of interest to own the series of the series, and the team of the IndyCar series, which competes on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

“I heard the word used optics,” said Penske. “I would say that when I look at my answer and what my Mo was in the past four and a half years, I was not in a boxing box. I was not in racing control. I am not an inspection. I have nothing to do with the implementation and especially with the rules.

“So, number one, I can look in the mirror and say I did the right thing.

“Obviously, we didn't do a good job for people outside of it, and these two violations would call them, which they certainly show that I have to be more diligent where we go as a team.

“And sure, I would challenge if we go back and look at what we tried to achieve and what we have, we have made a lot of progress.

“But I think this independence is very important because we are going forward the credibility of the series, the teams and all other of the fans who follow IndyCar.”

Penske owns Indycar, the series of sanctions of the series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. He also has Team Penske, the most successful team in Indy 500 and IndyCar history.

He was not involved in the decision to severely punish the Newgarden and Power teams after the technical inspection of IndyCar had discovered changes to both cars.

Little asked Penske whether he openly to an independent reigning body to rule the IndyCar series.

“Well, it is astonishing that you would ask this question,” replied Penske. “In the past six months we have spoken internally as Indycar, Mark Miles (Penske Entertainment President) and now Doug Boles (Indycar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President), and some external inputs, as we can, can be more independent from the operational side of the racing inspection, racing control, etc.

Some fans and critics have campaigned for both cars not be allowed to take part in the 109 on Sunday^TH Indianapolis 500.

Penske gave a strict answer.

“Well, I'm not agreed,” said Penske. “No. 1, these cars inspected on Saturday, the sticker that they were performing among the top 12 and were available on Sunday.

“From this point in time^TH Run of the Indianapolis 500. “

Little asked about the photos in which the Newgarden car circulated from 2024 had the same modifications on the rear weaknesses, which led to the serious punishments this year.

When asked if that would be true, said Penske: “I would say yes. I would say that we had nine damping devices that were modified by Dallara in early 2024, and these were shot through the cars in the past 15 months. We also had newer ones that we bought, and they have the same batch and therefore see that Scott McLaughlin was bought in the same batch in the same batch, and therefore scott, and therefore scott McLaughlin was bought in the same batch in the same batch and that Scott McLaughlin had no problem in his car.

“In my view, when she thinks about the damper and what happened there, my question to you is to you, what would we know that the situation on Sunday was not correct?

“But when I go back to night by 2024, this car was taken in detail after the race, and it should be completely legal for victory.”

This year's Indianapolis 500 has sold out a full grandstand sale for the first time since the 100^TH Indianapolis 500 in 2016. More than 350,000 fans are expected for the race on Sunday.

“Well, it was a kind of return five years ago when I got a call from Tony George to talk about the future without knowing that he might speak about the sale of the Speedway assets, the series and the impersonation,” recalled Penske. “I didn't take 2 seconds until I said:” I'm interested. “

“I put my hand high. I am interested.

“But to step down and see the progress that we have been able to achieve in the past four years, and what is more important, I am not.

“People have joined us in Indycar and the Indianapoli Motor Speedway hit the ball out of the park.

“We will organize one of the biggest races we've ever had here. We have been sold out here for a few days now.

“But what is more important, it is the memorial day where we celebrate the men and women who defend our country together with the first aiders to make it safe.

“When this transfer goes away and you see these planes, I will be the proudest guy in the stands.”