Cindric, Ruzewski among four suspended by Penske amid P2P scandal
07/05/2024 14:31
Roger Penske has suspended multiple members of his Team Penske IndyCar operation in the wake of the push-to-pass cheating ordeal that led to fines and disqualifications for Josef Newgarden's No. 2 entry that won at St. Petersburg, and also for the third-place No. 3 entry for Scott McLaughlin.
Team Penske president Tim Cindric, who also oversees the No. 2 car as its race strategist, managing director Ron Ruzewski, No. 2 race engineer Luke Mason, and assistant engineer Robbie Atkinson have been suspended for the next two IndyCar races in reaction to the matter.
"Following the penalties to the Team Penske IndyCar team and drivers after Long Beach, Team Penske has completed an internal review," said a Team Penske statement. "After a full and comprehensive analysis of the information, Team Penske has determined that there were significant failures in our processes and internal communications.
"As a result, Luke Mason (No. 2 race rngineer) and Robbie Atkinson (Senior Data Engineer) will be suspended from Team Penske for the next two IndyCar races including the Indianapolis 500.
"In addition, Ron Ruzewski (managing director, Team Penske IndyCar) will also be suspended for these two races, along with Tim Cindric (president of Team Penske), who has accountability for all of Team Penske's operations."
Atkinson, the data specialist on the No. 12 Chevy driven by Will Power, who didn't make illegal use of push-to-pass but whose car was in illegal configuration for the first two months of the season, was the only member of its third entry to be sanctioned by Penske.
In Team Penske's explanation of how the team unintentionally loaded the illegal hybrid software into its three race cars, it's believed Atkinson was the person responsible for the transgression.
Of note, Penske did not suspend any members of McLaughlin's No. 3 team, which could be perceived as a form of vindication.
"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," said roger Penske. "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."
