MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Team Penske team owner Roger Penske has suspended four key members involved in the IndyCar push-to-pass scandal, including team president Tim Cindric and managing director Ron Ruzewski.
Both have been suspended for the next two IndyCar Series race,s including the 108th Indianapolis 500 on May 26.
Cindric is the race strategist for Josef Newgarden, the defending Indianapolis 500 winning driver.
Also, Luke Mason (No. 2 Race Engineer) and Robbie Atkinson (Senior Data Engineer) will be suspended from Team Penske for the next two IndyCar races.
The move was announced Tuesday morning and is in response to the push-to-pass scandal from the March 10 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
According to the team, an internal review was held and after a full and comprehensive analysis of information, there were “significant failures in our processes and internal communications.
“I recognize the magnitude of what occurred and the impact it continues to have on the sport to which I’ve dedicated so many decades,” team owner Roger Penske said. “Everyone at Team Penske along with our fans and business partners should know that I apologize for the errors that were made and I deeply regret them.”
Penske also owns IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500.
Newgarden was disqualified after winning the March 10 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg when IndyCar officials discovered six weeks later his push-to-pass system had been manipulated and was used on starts and restarts.
Also, third-place finisher Scott McLaughlin was disqualified with both drivers’ entries losing all prize money and IndyCar points.
Will Power was penalized, but not disqualified, because he did not use the push-to-pass system illegally.
Cindric issued a statement later on Tuesday morning.
“For Ron and I as leaders of this team, it’s not about what we did, it’s about what we didn’t do,” Cindric said. “It is our responsibility to provide the Team and all our drivers with the right processes to ensure something like this can’t happen.
“For that, I apologize to Roger, our Team and everyone that supports us.
“Our No. 1 job is to protect and enhance the reputation of our brand and that of those that support us. In that regard, as the overall leader, I failed, and I must raise my hand and be accountable with the others. This is a team, and in my position, it’s the right thing to do.”
Also on Tuesday morning, Penske made additional comments to the Associated Press.
“We’re the same company we have been for 50 years and I’m going to hold my head high,” Penske told the AP. “This is an unfortunate situation and when you’re the leader, you have to take action. We’ve done that and we’re going to move on. I am not trying to run a popularity contest.”
Penske told the AP that Cindric and Ruzewski “raised their hands as the team leaders” to accept responsibility for the mess.
The suspensions are for two races, which cover this weekend’s event on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the Indy 500, which Penske is trying to win for a record-extending 20th time.
“That’s a big deal, a significant impact to the team, to the individuals involved,” Penske told the AP of the Indy 500 being included in the suspensions. “I talked to all of them and the goal was, ‘How can we move forward and be competitive and win? Win the next two races?’ That was the feeling I had when I left the meeting.”
Asked how Newgarden moves forward and regains the respect of his competitors, Penske said: “He’s got to do it on the race track. I think he understands the gravity of this thing and I need to support him.”