The three Penske cars entered in the 109th Indianapolis 500 qualified in the Fast 12 on Saturday, but you won’t see any of them in the front row this year after they dominated those three spots in 2024.

A same-day practice crash prevented the No. 3 Pennzoil car, driven by Scott McLaughlin, last year’s pole winner, from requalifying on Sunday for the Fast Six and the coveted pole position. The No. 2 Shell car, driven by Josef Newgarden, and the No. 12 Verizon car, driven by Will Power, were disqualified for illegal modifications to their attenuator boxes.

Team Penske had applied a material to create a more aerodynamically efficient air flow over the attenuator’s seams to reduce drag. Rule 14.7.8.16 does allow for certain parts to be blended to reduce uneven surfaces and gaps in a list provided, but the attenuator box is not included.

Prior to qualifying on day two, each car must go through technical inspection again. Following tech, teams are only allowed to change the tire pressures and wing angles. Initially, the No. 12 car went through technical inspection, but the officials saw something, a body fit issue of the attenuator box, and allowed the No. 12 to go to pit lane while they verified the car wasn’t compliant.

When the No. 2 car went through inspection, the tech department notified the Penske team that they had the choice of pulling their cars from qualifying or making the run to likely be disqualified during post inspection.

With their cars sitting in pit lane, the Penske team was observed grinding the sealant material they applied to the attenuator. When the Technical Department notified them of their choices, the team rolled their two cars back to the garages with the drivers still sitting in the cockpits.

McLaughlin’s car, upon further inspection after his practice crash, did not have the attenuator box modification. The New Zealander will start 10th, based on his Saturday qualification time. The No. 2 and No. 12 cars, however, have been penalized and moved to the last row of the field to fill the 32nd and 33rd starting spots, respectively.

“The integrity of the Indianapolis 500 is paramount, and this violation of the INDYCAR rule against modification to this part and using it ‘as supplied’ is clear,” said INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles. “The penalty should be more than simply starting where the cars might have qualified anyway, if given the opportunity. The cars belong in the field as two of the fastest 33; however, starting on the tail of the field is the appropriate penalty in this instance.”

What’s refreshing to see is that Boles, newly appointed President of INDYCAR, did not show any favouritism to his boss’ team. Roger Penske owns INDYCAR and IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway, of which Boles is also president).

The body fit infraction is also the second time in 13 months that Team Penske has been found in violation of the rules. Josef Newgarden used his Push to Pass illegally at the beginning of last season, winning the St. Petersburg race. The win was stripped from him, a fine imposed, and points forfeited.

In addition to now starting in the last row on the grid, the pit selection for the two Penske cars, pit boxes seven and eight, nearest pit out, were rescinded. Other teams made new pit selections, most moving up two spaces. Car No. 2 has moved to the 30th spot and car No. 12 has the 32nd spot, in front of Dreyer & Reinbold’s two cars at pit-in.

The teams were fined $100,000 each for the infractions. Additionally, the strategists, Team Penske INDYCAR President Tim Cindric on the No. 2 car and Team Manager Ron Ruzewski on the No. 12 car, have been suspended from participating in the 109th Indy 500.

Some felt that those two Penske cars should be eliminated, allowing Jacob Abel, driving for Dale Coyne, into the field; or that Abel should get a spot in the last row and allow the final spot for one of the two Penske cars. Although his speed was not one of the fastest 33 drivers, Abel’s car was legal.

Asked about Abel missing the 500, Pato O’Ward said, “you’re better off watching the race than racing 200 laps in a car that sucks. I was relieved when I didn’t make it (as a rookie driving for Carlin in 2019). We’re going fricking fast, and accidents can happen just in a blink of an eye.

“Those cars weren’t within the regulations,” continued O’Ward. “The rule is pretty black and white. Those cars should have been in the last chance qualifier. If they’re disqualified today (Sunday), they should have been disqualified yesterday (Saturday). It’s a shame, really, because they (Penske) don’t need to be doing that stuff. They’re a great team with great drivers. Why are they doing that? It makes no sense.”

“The positive momentum around the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500 has been on a steep crescendo over the last several months,” explained Boles. “We want it to be clear that our intent is to maintain that momentum and discourage teams from putting INDYCAR in positions where it calls into the integrity of our officiating and the levelness of the playing field. As we look to the remainder of the week and the race this weekend, we will do everything we can to make it clear that this is not only the best racing on the planet but racing where the best win under completely fair conditions.”

Moving the two Penske cars to the last row of the field may only heighten the entertainment value of the race as they fight their way forward in an attempt to win the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ the Indianapolis 500. Race coverage starts live at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday on FOX & TSN 4, with the Green Flag estimated at 12:45 p.m. ET.

In one of his most popular songs, Billy Ray Cyrus summed up one of the sad realities of wartime service when he sang, “All gave some, some gave all.”

Cpl. Ian Thomas Zook, a United States Marine, is among those who gave all. He was killed in action in Iraq on Oct. 12, 2004, at the age of 24.

Originally from Peoria, Ill., Zook later moved to Florida with his family. According to published reports, he was valedictorian of his high school class and initially pursued missionary work before joining the Marines in 2001 with aspirations of becoming a law enforcement officer.

This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Josh Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing team will honor Cpl. Zook as part of NASCAR’s 600 Miles of Remembrance program with Zook’s name being displayed on the windshield of the No. 21 eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

The Coca-Cola 600 marks eero’s second primary race on the No. 21. In its debut at Phoenix Raceway earlier this season, Berry qualified inside the top five and delivered a strong run, contending inside the top 10 for much of the afternoon before delivering an impressive fourth-place finish, one week before scoring his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory. 

A strong showing on Sunday would be a meaningful way for the team to honor Zook’s legacy, and they’re confident in their chances. The No. 21 car has shown impressive speed on intermediate-length tracks this season.

“It’s the longest race in our sport, and that opens up a lot of opportunities for comers and goers,” Berry said during a recent media availability. “You obviously have to have a good balance to start the race, but then it cools off and you’ve got to stay up with the track. It’s just a grind.”

“I’m really excited to get there with the speed we’ve had on the intermediates,” he added. “The 600 is a crown jewel. The pre-race is a lot of fun and really special. We’re excited to get there.”

Practice at Charlotte is set for Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 2:40 p.m. Sunday’s 400-lap, 600-mile race will go green just after 6 p.m., with stage breaks at Laps 100, 200 and 300. Coverage of the on-track activity will be carried on Prime Video.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Roger Penske attempted to close the latest cheating scandal engulfing his race team — this one at his beloved Indianapolis 500 — by firing his top three executives at Team Penske after two of the Penske cars were found to be illegal.

Penske fired team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer on Wednesday in the wake of this Indianapolis 500 cheating scandal.

“Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,” Penske said in a statement. “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.”

Penske is owner of the three-car team, IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500. He has won the Indy 500 a record 20 times.

The firings and Penske’s statement have been his first public reaction since two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and teammate Will Power were found to have an illegally modified spec part on their cars ahead of Sunday’s final round of qualifications for the 109th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Penske after the firings were announced held a team owner’s meeting remotely in which he took responsibility for his team’s actions. Some who dialed-in told The Associated Press the meeting lasted 20 minutes and the owners were satisfied with the outcome; no owners called for the Penske cars to be kicked out of the race, and the only questions asked were about how IndyCar moves on from the scandal ahead of the biggest race in the world.

“What he did in firing three people is a big deal,” Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan told The Associated Press. “I think everyone recognized how big of a deal this is to Roger and now it’s just a question of how to move on and how to make sure tech doesn’t miss these things again.”

Neither Newgarden or Power were allowed to qualify Sunday when rivals pointed out the illegal modification. Both drivers on Monday were dropped to the back of the field and will start 32nd and 33rd. Rival teams have been arguing it was not enough since it’s the second cheating scandal in two seasons and potentially illegal cars bumped Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing from the field.

Newgarden is attempting to become the first driver in history to win three consecutive Indy 500s; no driver has ever won starting from the last row.

Cindric and Ruzewski had already been suspended by IndyCar for the race and both teams fined $100,000. It is the second consecutive year Cindric and Ruzewski were suspended from the Indy 500.

Rivals have been calling on Penske to address the situation since Sunday while questioning if IndyCar and the Indy 500 can continue to operate without an independent governing body absent of any Penske employees.

The trouble for Team Penske began before the fast 12 shootout on Sunday, when rival team owner Chip Ganassi was among a chorus of competitors who accused it of cheating. They noticed unapproved changes had been made to the rear attenuator, a safety device designed to absorb and reduce the force of impacts, and the assumption was the modifications would have given the two Team Penske cars an aerodynamic advantage in their four-lap qualifying runs.

Further investigation showed Newgarden’s winning car from last year that is displayed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum has the same illegal modification, as did the car Team Penske brought to the White House last month. Rivals claim to have photos indicating the modification has been in place for some time.

Helio Castroneves, who won three Indy 500s driving for Team Penske, was among the few who doubted the team was cheating and believed Cindric’s explanation that the illegal modification was for aesthetic purposes only. Penske, after all, requires everything he owns to be pristine and with as clean lines and looks as possible.

“I believe they did something to look good. I don’t think that little (adjusted) lip is going to make them three miles an hour faster,” Castroneves said. “I know how Roger operates. He wants to make everything beautiful, perfect, shiny. I believe it was, again, a mistake, touching an area they’re not supposed to. In the rule book, they’re not supposed to touch. I believe what the series is doing is right. But they don’t need anything like that to go fast. I don’t see this as a situation that people are cheating. In terms of performance, I don’t think it would have changed anything.”

What’s Happening?

Tuesday, NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps announced the three newest members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class consists of Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, Ray Hendrick, and Landmark Award recipient Humpy Wheeler.

• Humpy Wheeler, the long-time track promoter at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was known for his outrageous marketing gimmicks and ideas. Now, he is the newest recipient of the Hall of Fame’s Landmark Award, which honors those who made “outstanding contributions to NASCAR.”
• Ray Hendrick, a legend of the modified racing scene, was the first driver elected to the Hall of Fame from the Pioneer Ballot. Hendrick is credited as one of the greatest short track racers of all time and was named on 1998’s list of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.
• After Hendrick came “Handsome” Harry Gant, who is a fellow member of the 50 Greatest Drivers list and one of the most iconic drivers in NASCAR history. Gant raced full-time in the Cup Series from age 40 to 54, winning 18 races, including four in a row in the fall of 1991.
• The final inductee is Kurt Busch. The elder of the two Busch Brothers joined the ballot for the first time this year following his early retirement in 2022. Busch is a 43-time National Series race winner, 34-time Cup Series race winner, Daytona 500 champion, and 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.
• Notable nominees not to be elected this year include Banjor Matthews and Jake Elder from the Pioneer Ballot. Drivers from the Modern Era Ballot, like Greg Biffle, Randy LaJoie, and Jeff Burton, who came in third in voting, were also not elected.

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23XI Racing and Tyler Reddick secured a major win after revealing that they’ve landed a new primary sponsor.

It’s been a rollercoaster year for Michael Jordan’s Cup Series team, which remains embroiled in an ugly legal dispute with NASCAR. 23XI additionally made team history earlier this month by fielding four drivers at Kansas Speedway, including development driver Corey Heim – a decision that was welcomed by Bubba Wallace.

Amidst speculation that 23XI could soon lose several of its drivers, the organization received a huge boost once it was announced that they’d expanded their longstanding partnership with Pinnacle Financial Partners.

As part of the new multi-year deal, Pinnacle will serve as the primary sponsor for Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE in two races this season – the NASCAR Cup Series Race at Nashville on June 1 and the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol on September 13.

“Our team has enjoyed the partnership with Pinnacle since Tyler joined the team, and we’re excited to grow our relationship with Pinnacle to more prominently feature their brand on the No. 45 car,” 23XI president Steve Lauletta said in an official statement.

“Much like 23XI, Pinnacle is driven to be impactful for their clients, their employees, and their community, and we look forward to developing more programs and activations with them.”

Back in 2018, Pinnacle first began working with Reddick while he was still competing in the Xfinity Series. The Nashville-based company has acted as an associate sponsorship partner for 23XI’s No. 45 team since 2023, with the upcoming Nashville race marking the first time it’s served as a Cup Series primary sponsor.

“The group at Pinnacle has played such an important role in my career, and I’m honored to have the chance to represent them in a greater way through this partnership expansion,” Reddick said. “From supporting me earlier in my career to continuing to believe in me and what we’re doing at 23XI, I’m excited to represent all the associates at Pinnacle and look forward to having a great opening race with them in Nashville.”

DON’T MISS:

At Nashville Superspeedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, the No. 45 team will proudly display Pinnacle’s logo on their equipment and Reddick’s driver uniform. “Pinnacle and 23XI are such a great match for each other because we both share a vision of being the best,” Pinnacle’s director of music, sports and entertainment Andy Moats said.

“The love for NASCAR and racing runs deep at our firm, and we’ve been with Tyler for a long time. Working alongside him as he’s grown into the racer he is today has been a privilege, and this partnership will bring us even closer to him, his team and the incredible community that surrounds this sport.”

The NASCAR Cup Series hits the midpoint of the 26-race regular season with Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Seven of the 16 playoff spots are held, at this time, by drivers who have at least one win this season: Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Josh Berry.

Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup teams heading into Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

23XI Racing — Good news: Tyler Reddick has finished in the top 10 in all five of his Coca-Cola 600 starts, including a fourth-place result last year. Bad news: Bubba Wallace finished 33rd in each of the past two points races, dropping him from seventh to 10th in the standings. … Reddick has one top 10 in his last six Cup points races. … Riley Herbst has finished 27th or worse in six of the last nine points races.

Kurt Busch won 34 Cup races and the 2004 Cup championship

Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Todd Gilliland has finished 16th or better in five of the last six races. … Zane Smith has six top-20 finishes in the last seven points races. … Noah Gragson won the All-Star fan vote for a third year in a row. Bad news: Gragson has not been running at the finish in any of his three Coca-Cola 600 starts.

Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer has two top-20 finishes in the last three races. … Both of those top-20 finishes came after he started 20th or better. Bad News: Custer has started 30th or worse five times this year.

Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: Kyle Larson’s three wins, eight top-five finishes, nine top-10 results and 817 laps led this season are the most in his Cup career through the first 12 points races of the season … Larson has won six of the last eight stages this season. … Larson seeks to be only the second driver in the last 20 years to race in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. … William Byron has finished fourth or better in three of the last four Coke 600s. … Chase Elliott has led in the last six Coca-Cola 600s. … Alex Bowman has five top 10s in his last seven Coke 600s. … Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers have led 41.6% of the laps run this season, the team’s highest percentage of laps led through 12 races since 1996 (44.1%). Bad news: No driver leading the points after 12 races went on to win the championship since the playoff format debuted in 2014. … This is the third time Larson led the points at the All-Star break. He led the points in 2017 (eliminated in the round of 12) and 2024 (eliminated in round of 8).

Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has four top 10s in his last seven Coca-Cola 600 starts. Bad news: His sixth-place finish at Texas is his only top 10 in the last 13 races on a 1.5-mile track.

Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Christopher Bell has finished first or second in five of the 12 points races this season, winning three times and finishing second twice. … Bell is the defending Coca-Cola 600 winner and comes into this weekend after his victory at the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. … Chase Briscoe has finished a season-best fourth four different times this year. … Ty Gibbs will make his 100th career Cup start this weekend. … Gibbs won the pole and finished sixth in last year’s Coca-Cola 600. Bad news: JGR has led only 21 laps on 1.5-mile tracks this year, the team’s fewest through four races at 1.5-mile tracks since 1994. … Denny Hamlin failed to finish the past two races, the first time since 2013 he’s done that. … Briscoe has finished 20th or worse in three of his four Coca-Cola 600 starts.

Christopher Bell has won five points races and the All-Star Race since last year’s Coca-Cola 600.

Kaulig Racing — Good news: AJ Allmendinger has four top-10 results in his last six races on 1.5-mile tracks. Bad news: Allmendinger has finished 36th and 38th in the past two races, dropping him from 15th to 25th in the season standings. … Ty Dillon’s only top-10 Cup result at a 1.5-mile track came in February 2020.

Legacy Motor Club — Good news: John Hunter Nemechek’s four top-10 finishes this year already ties for his most in a season. … Nemechek has finished eighth (Texas) and 10th (Kansas) in the last two points races. … Jimmie Johnson will make his 700th career Cup start this weekend, becoming the 21st driver to reach that mark in series history. … Johnson finished third in the Daytona 500, his only start start this year ahead of this weekend. Bad news: Erik Jones has scored one stage point since the Daytona 500.

Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Kyle Busch has seven top 10s in his last eight starts in the Coca-Cola 600. … Austin Dillon, the 2017 Coke 600 winner, has finished in the top 10 twice in the last four Coke 600s. Bad news: RCR has only one top-five finish this season. … Dillon’s 22nd-place finish at Kansas snapped a streak of three consecutive top-10 results. … Busch has finished outside the top 15 in six of the last eight points races.

Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware’s best career finish on a 1.5-mile track (18th) came in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2022. Bad news: Ware ranks last among the 36 full-time drivers in points after 12 races.

RFK Racing — Good news: RFK Racing announced Monday that it would appeal penalties to Chris Buescher and his team, that included being docked 60 points and 10 playoff points, for an infraction discovered after Kansas. … Ryan Preece will make his 200th career Cup start this weekend. … Preece has four top-10 finishes this season. The most in his Cup career is five. Bad news: Buescher has finished outside the top 10 in four of the last six points races. … Brad Keselowski has failed to finish the last three races. … He has a series-high five DNFs this year.

The Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver was running second before being sent to the rear with 17 laps remaining.

Spire Motorsports — Good news: Michael McDowell’s team comes into the Coca-Cola 600 after winning the Pit Crew Challenge last weekend at North Wilkesboro. … Carson Hocevar has scored points in five of the last eight stages. Bad news: Justin Haley has one top-10 finish in his last 17 starts on 1.5-mile tracks (a 10th-place result at Miami this year). … McDowell has one top-10 finish in his last 22 races on 1.5-mile tracks.

Carson Hocevar, John Hunter Nemechek and Noah Gragson are in the All-Star Race.

Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney has finished third in each of the past two races at 1.5-mile tracks, Texas and Kansas. … Joey Logano’s win this season came at Texas, a 1.5-mile track. Bad news: Austin Cindric has never placed better than 20th in three Coca-Cola 600 starts. … Blaney’s average finish of 19.7 at Charlotte is his worst among 1.5-mile tracks. … Logano has finished outside the top 10 in seven of the last eight Coke 600s, including the last five.

Joey Logano said of how Bell raced him: “When I went back and re-watched it, I was like, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.”

Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Connor Zilisch, who is 18 years old, makes his second career Cup start this weekend. … Daniel Suarez will make his 300th career Cup start this weekend. … In the past six races, Ross Chastain’s average finish has been 10.0. Bad news: In the last six races, Chastain’s average starting position has been 27.7. … Shane van Gisbergen finished 28th last year in his only Coke 600 start. … Suarez has finished outside the top 20 in four of the last five Coke 600s.

Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry finished 10th in last year’s Coca-Cola 600. … Berry has one win (Las Vegas) and two top 10s (Las Vegas and Kansas) on 1.5-mile tracks this season. Bad news: Berry has one top-10 finish in the seven races since his Las Vegas victory.