IndyCar: Once again officials turn blind eye to Penske infraction
If you drive for Roger Penske who owns the IndyCar Series, the Indy 500, IMS and pays the race officials, you can usually get away with cheating or some other infraction as race officials turn a blind eye unless forced. The race officials know who butters their bread.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
The Penske organization has a history of cheating as outlined in this scathing article titled “Roger Penske Teams Have a History of Serial Cheating.”
And now that he has the IndyCar race officials in his back pocket so-to-speak by virtue of owning the race series, they can do no wrong.
In racing, there is such a thing as “avoidable contact” but it apparently does not apply to a Roger Penske driver.
In Friday IndyCar Practice on the streets of Detroit, Penske driver Will Power came upon the slower car of Kyle Kirkwood at Turn 5 and hit his rear. Power then lifted Kirkwood’s rear wheels off the ground with the nose of his car and plowed him through the run to Turn 6 and through Turn 6, past David Malukas’s car as he had to stay out of the way to avoid an incident.
TV coverage suggested Kirkwood’s Andretti car sustained floor and gearbox casing damage.
This is without a doubt the most absurd thing i’ve had happen to me at a racetrack. https://t.co/vcEktPhMuh
— Kyle M. Kirkwood (@KKirkwoodRacing) May 30, 2025
“That’s insanely dangerous,” remarked Fox TV commentator James Hinchcliffe.
“He just forced him by [David] Malukas and then nearly stuffs him in the wall.”
“You can’t do that. That’s unbelievable.
“I would be shocked if he’s not called to the principal’s office at this session for that.
A representative of IndyCar said there would be “no action” on the incident! We shall see if that changes, but given the video evidence that should have been an immediate penalty.
“I came around, and he slowed up in the middle and made contact, so I thought I may as well get a gap now so I just pushed him past the car in front, just moved him out of the way and got a really nice gap,” was Power’s explanation to Fox TV.
“If I hadn’t touched him already…I was like, oh, well, I’ve touched him already, I may as well keep pushing him (laughs) and get myself a gap and finished the run nicely.”
Kyle Kirkwood said, “I know what you’re going to ask me” in a somewhat mischievous manner as Fox approached him.
“Everyone is going slow around here, the track’s not big enough to fit all the cars and he got frustrated,” said Kirkwood, who also tweeted the video with the caption Penske driver “Will Plower”.
“Whatever, I guess.
“Does it give him the right to push my car through a couple of corners and almost cause a wreck? I don’t think so.
“Malukas is right in front of me, like I can’t really do much, and he’s just shoving me along.”
But when it comes to other teams, the officials are quick to not miss infractions, no matter how minute. IndyCar News: Andretti and Prema cars fail Indy 500 inspection