In the aftermath of a cheating scandal involving Team Penske, IndyCar officials are considering the formation of an independent governing body that would operate without any influence from Roger Penske or his employees. The move comes as the series works to restore trust following the discovery of illegal modifications on two of Penske’s cars ahead of Indy 500 qualifying.
Roger Penske, who owns not only the three-car Team Penske outfit but also IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Indianapolis 500, took swift action by firing three top racing executives after the scandal broke. It was revealed that Team Penske had altered a spec safety part on the cars driven by Josef Newgarden and Will Power—an infraction that had gone undetected for some time.
Evidence now shows the illegal component was present on Newgarden’s winning 2024 Indy 500 car, which is currently on display at the speedway’s museum and was also used during his visit to the White House. Rival teams have reportedly collected photographic proof showing the altered part had been in use for an extended period and some even claim they alerted IndyCar officials about the suspected violations long before action was taken.
Doug Boles, who became president of IndyCar in February while continuing his role as president of the speedway, acknowledged growing concerns about perceived bias in race enforcement. “We want to ensure that we have an officiating entity that no one can say is influenced by Roger Penske,” Boles said.
The cheating was exposed on Sunday thanks in part to complaints from rival teams. Those same teams have since voiced concerns about favoritism toward Penske’s entries, particularly questioning why the illegal part wasn’t discovered earlier during qualifying. All three Penske cars had successfully qualified for the race, further fueling speculation about preferential treatment.
Boles stated that discussions are underway about creating a separate officiating group to handle race control and technical inspections. The goal is to establish a completely autonomous body with no ties to Penske Entertainment or the Speedway.
“This is something we’ve been working very hard on,” Boles said. “We’re building an officiating structure that operates independently from Penske and ensures complete transparency.”
The part in question is a rear attenuator—a safety device that is not typically checked because modifying it is prohibited and assumed to offer no performance advantage. However, the discovery of changes to this component has sparked questions about oversight and inspection protocols.
“Our tech team doesn’t routinely inspect that piece because it’s assumed teams wouldn’t compromise safety,” Boles admitted. “Is that a miss on our part? Absolutely.”
Other motorsports organizations offer contrasting governance models. NASCAR, owned by the France family, maintains internal race control and competition departments but does not field cars. Formula 1, by contrast, separates governance and business operations; the FIA handles all regulatory oversight, while commercial rights are held by a different entity.
While Boles and several team owners believe the modification did not provide a significant competitive edge, they agree the violation needed to be addressed.
“I’ve heard from many that the part likely didn’t have a performance impact,” Boles said. “That’s one reason it hasn’t been scrutinized before. But none of this excuses the fact that a rule was broken. It’s a safety part, and we took it seriously, as you can see from Monday’s actions.”
As IndyCar aims to recover from the scandal, the push for a truly independent regulatory body may mark a turning point in how the series ensures fairness and integrity moving forward.