IndyCar News: Ganassi questions Team Penske’s integrity

Team Penske was penalized for cheating the IndyCar push-to-pass system last year, got caught cheating before qualifying for this year’s Indy 500, and used the same illegal rear attenuator to win last year’s Indy 500 raising serious integrity concerns among the other teams, the fans, and the commercial partners.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Chip Ganassi, the CEO of Chip Ganassi Racing, was one of several who complained to IndyCar inspectors on Sunday during qualifications for the 2025 Indy 500.

“There are a lot of spec parts on these cars,” he told Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.

“They had a spec part which was modified on their car.

“They were trying to get it off before they got penalized. That’s sort of a penalty in itself. They had an issue there.”

Chip Ganassi, the CEO of Chip Ganassi Racing, was one of several who complained to IndyCar inspectors on Sunday.

“All teams have a certain responsibility to uphold the integrity of the sport in any series,” he said.

“No team more than Team Penske – they have had so much success, it’s a team everyone knows, and has heard of. They’ve had success around the world in a lot of different series.

“So they need to be held to an even higher standard to protect the sport.

“Especially with the investment that Roger Penske at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and in the IndyCar series, and the other series he’s involved in, and his businesses.

“They have a responsibility to protect the sport. We all need to, everyone that’s in it has to protect the sport.

“It’s certainly a problem when the pursuit of winning compromises integrity and sportsmanship.”

McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown was also vocal in his criticism of Penske.

Brown openly questioned their “integrity” and said he was “extremely concerned” by their technical violation.

The Problem – Conflict of Interest

Roger Penske Owns:

• The NTT IndyCar Series
• The Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• The Indy 500 – IndyCar’s crown jewel
• The Team Penske race team
• The Chevy Engines built by Ilmor that he owns
• Directly or indirectly he pays all the IndyCar staff, including the inspectors and officials who turned a blind eye to the illegal modification that was on Josef Newgarden’s 2024 Indy 500 winning car that likely gave Newgarden the ability to pass Pato O’Ward for the win on the last lap.

Whether the officials turned a blind eye to Newgarden’s illegal Penske car last year, or just missed it, the fact that Penske pays their salary raises real concerns of possible foul play.

Perhaps it was just incompetence, but we doubt it.  Never bite the hand that feeds you, so-to-speak.

Possible Solutions

1. Roger Penske sells Team Penske but remains owner of the IndyCar Series and the Speedway
2. Roger Penske keeps Team Penske but sells the series and the Speedway to Liberty Media
3. IndyCar becomes an FIA sanctioned series.  In Europe, and elsewhere around the world, the FIA is the governing body, totally separate from the race series and team owners. They make the rules, write the technical and sporting regulations and perform the officiating.  The race series are responsible for the commercial side of the sport – a complete separation of Church and State so-to-speak

Conclusion

Something has to be done to change the current management and ownership structure of IndyCar if the sport wants to be taken seriously going forward. Cheating has no place in a real sport.