Rinus VeeKay secured his spot at the 109th Indianapolis 500 in a tense last-chance qualifier, narrowly beating his teammate Jacob Abel. However, VeeKay expressed disappointment when Team Penske’s Newgarden and Power were penalized and sent to the back of the grid for illegal modifications.
IndyCar and IMS president Doug Boles defended the decision to let Newgarden and Power race, stating that all cars passed tech on Saturday. VeeKay disagreed, believing they should have been made to fight their way in through the last-chance qualifier.
VeeKay, a seasoned Indy 500 racer, found the situation with Penske’s cars perplexing but maintained a light-hearted attitude. He jokingly remarked about the unexpected start alongside the Penske cars despite their penalty.
Meanwhile, Helio Castroneves, a former Penske driver, supported the team, downplaying the impact of the violation. Castroneves empathized with team owner Roger Penske, acknowledging the unfortunate mistake made by the team.
Overall, the controversy surrounding the modified rear attenuators added a layer of drama to the race, but the focus remains on the upcoming competition on the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
