IndyCar has announced some post-qualifying penalties involving the No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet entry of Caio Collet and the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet of Jack Harvey.
According to IndyCar, "during post-qualifying inspection of car Nos. 4 and 24, IndyCar Officiating discovered modifications to the Dallara-supplied Energy Management System (EMS) covers and cover-toA-arm mounting points with unapproved hardware. According to the IndyCar rulebook, EMS covers must be used as supplied."
As a result, both cars will be sent to the rear of the field with Collet now 32nd and Harvey 33rd. Collet had qualified 10th, advancing all the way into the Fast 12 Shootout and leading all rookie drivers by a wide margin. Harvey was set to start 29th, so this won't hurt as much for him.
They also forfeit their pit positions and will get whatever boxes are left after the rest of the field. The updated Indy 500 starting lineup can be found HERE.
With Collet's penalty, Scott Dixon has now been bumped up into the top 10 on the grid, and Mick Schumacher is now the top-qualifying rookie in 26th place.
For Harvey, this will be the fourth time he has started from the back row of the Indy 500 field, and the third time in his last four appearances.
Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) earned pole position for this year's Indianapolis 500, and will be joined on the front row by Alexander Rossi (ECR) and David Malukas (Team Penske). He is the first defending winner to earn pole position the following year since Helio Castroneves did it in 2010.
Statement from Larry Foyt & Dennis Reinbold
Larry Foyt: ""There was a miscommunication issue which resulted in a technical infraction on the No. 4 car. It was a costly mistake on our part, and not intended for a performance gain. I feel terrible for Caio who put forth such a great effort in qualifying to become the fastest rookie. He is a talented young driver and I have no doubt he'll come through the field. This is a setback, but drivers and teams don't make it to this level without facing challenges and overcoming them. I have full confidence in Caio and our team to do the same on race day. We apologize to Caio, to Combitrans Amazonia and all of our sponsors and the race fans who have supported us throughout the years. We are truly sorry."
Dennis Reinbold: :Dreyer & Reinbold Racing did not intend to achieve a performance gain through the use of unapproved hardware. The integrity of the sport is of the highest priority and utmost importance to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, our sponsors, partners and personnel. We apologize to INVST, Jack Harvey, our valued sponsor partners and fully accept the penalties set forth by the IndyCar Series."
The specific rules violated by Foyt/Dreyer & Reinbold are as follows:
- Rule 14.12.1.1. EMS must be used as supplied by Dallara and approved by IndyCar
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Rule 14.12.1.6. EMS covers may only be attached with the supplied hardware and
Helicopter Tape.
