IndyCar: Newgarden & Kellett to take Portland grid penalty for new Chevy engine (Update)
Our report from earlier today is now supplemented by an IndyCar Press Release:
INDYCAR officials have announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 2 Team Penske and No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises for unapproved engine changes following the Saturday, Aug. 20 race at World Wide Technology Raceway.
The teams were in violation of:
Rule 16.2.3.2 A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.
According to Rule 16.6.1.2, the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Grand Prix of Portland Sunday, Sept. 4 at Portland International Raceway.
September 2, 2022
Team Penske IndyCar title challenger Josef Newgarden will lose six places on the grid for this weekend’s Grand Prix of Portland due to taking a new Chevy engine, one over the number allotted for the year.
The latest Chevy power unit is rumored to make slightly more HP.
Newgarden currently lies second in the IndyCar drivers’ standings, three points behind leader Will Power, after scoring a fifth victory of the season last time out at Gateway.
Six-time series champion Dixon is 11 points behind Newgarden, with Indianapolis 500 winner Ericsson 14 behind.
AJ Foyt Racing’s Dalton Kellett will also take a grid penalty for an engine change, and will be forced to start 6 places behind his qualifying position. This is Kellett’s second grid penalty of the season for engine changes.