In a stunning development that has rocked the motorsports world, Team Penske announced sweeping leadership changes on Wednesday following revelations of technical violations during Indianapolis 500 qualifying. The organization has released several key figures from its NTT IndyCar Series program, including Team President Tim Cindric, Managing Director Ron Ruzewski, and General Manager Kyle Moyer.

The personnel changes come amid intensifying scrutiny over what has been characterized as a cheating scandal involving the illegal modification of attenuators on the cars driven by Josef Newgarden and Will Power. The violations were discovered during pre-qualifying inspection for the Indianapolis 500 last week.

“Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,” stated team owner Roger Penske in an official release. “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.”

The scandal initially unfolded when both Newgarden and Power qualified for the Fast 12 session, only to have irregularities discovered with the attenuators on their vehicles during technical inspection. As a result, both drivers were barred from participating in the Fast 12 qualifying session.

Initially slated to start 11th and 12th, the penalties were subsequently increased by IndyCar officials. The sanctioning body ultimately relegated both drivers to the back of the field, with Newgarden starting 32nd and Power 33rd in this weekend’s 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

The situation grew more complex when journalists investigating the controversy discovered that Newgarden’s 2023 Indianapolis 500-winning car, currently on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, appeared to feature the same illegal modifications. This revelation raised questions about how long the team may have been using the altered components.

Team Penske has indicated that further announcements regarding personnel replacements will be made later this week as they prepare for Sunday’s marquee event under a cloud of controversy.

This represents the second technical infraction for Team Penske since the beginning of the 2024 season, creating an unprecedented crisis for an organization long considered the gold standard in American motorsports. The departure of Cindric is particularly notable given his decades-long tenure as Penske’s right-hand man in racing operations.

For a team known for its meticulous preparation and commitment to playing by the rules—sometimes referred to as “The Penske Way”—this scandal marks an extraordinary departure from its carefully cultivated image of precision and integrity.

As the Indianapolis 500 approaches, all eyes will be on how the organization regroups from this leadership exodus and whether Newgarden and Power can overcome their back-of-the-grid starting positions in Sunday’s race.