Newgarden, Team Penske teammate Power fail Indy 500 qualifying inspection. What we know
INDIANAPOLIS — The Team Penske cars of Will Power and Josef Newgarden failed technical inspection Sunday, knocking them out of Indianapolis 500 pole qualifying.
Power's No. 12 and Newgarden's No. 2 were pulled from the qualifying line on pit road just as the top 12 session began.
An IndyCar officials said the Penske cars had a body fit violation on the rear attenuator.
Tim Cindric, Team Penske's president, said IndyCar officials didn't like the attenuator on Newgarden's car, and that Power's was the same, so the team withdrew both.
"At the end of the day, we didn't do it right," he said.
Fixing that issue is not permitted after tech inspection, as opposed to wing adjustments and tire pressure changes.
Their teammate, Scott McLaughlin, crashed in pre-qualifying practice Sunday, leaving him out of the second day of qualifying for the May 25 race on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
McLaughlin, who won the 2024 pole position, was second fastest in Saturday's qualifying; two-time defending race champ Newgarden was third, and Power 10th.
They will start the race on Row 4, lined up by Saturday's qualifying speeds.
Josef Newgarden goes for a run
Newgarden couldn't drive his car, but he kept moving.