Penske duo Josef Newgarden, Will Power sent to the back of the grid for Indy 500

Penske drivers Josef Newgarden and Will Power have been sent to the rear of the field for this week’s Indianapolis 500 for violating technical rules, IndyCar announced on Monday.

Newgarden and Power had qualified 11th and 12th respectively for the most fabled race on the IndyCar calendar, but have now been demoted to 32nd and 33rd respectively on the grid.

Penske’s other driver, Scott McLaughlin, keeps his 10th-place starting position.

The grid drops are among several penalties handed out to Roger Penske’s operations after two of its three Chevrolet-powered cars were found to be running a modified rear attenuator - a part that is standard for all teams - on Sunday.

Further, IndyCar has fined each entry a $100,000, while suspending their respective team strategists.

Both Newgarden and Power will also forfeit qualification points for the Indy 500.

“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,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. 

“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.”

The controversy regarding modified rear attenuators erupted on Sunday, sending shockwaves down the paddock.

Penske withdrew the cars of Newgarden and Power from the Top 12 shootout in response to stewards’ findings, while McLaughlin also missed out on the session after damaging his car in a crash during practice.

McLaughlin, however, has escaped any penalty after IndyCar “found that the car was in fact using a legal and unmodified attenuator.”