An investigation by Chevrolet into the IndyCar cheating scandal involving Penske Racing found no evidence any Chevy employee was involved in the matter, General Motors president Mark Reuss said Friday.
Controversy erupted last month when IndyCar found in a technical inspection at Long Beach that three Penske racers had improper access to extra power on starts and restarts against series rules.
Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden was stripped of a victory in the season opener at St. Petersburg, New Zealand teammate Scott McLaughlin was stripped of a third-place finish and Australian Will Power forfeited 10 points in the season drivers standings.
Penske Racing said a package used in pre-season engine tests had mistakenly not been removed from the cars before the season opener in March on the Florida streets.
Newgarden said he mistakenly thought the rule had been changed allowing him access to the “push-to-pass” button on starts and restarts and used it to gain an engine power boost in those situations.
Rival teams and racers have been skeptical of the explanations, some wondering if Chevy, the automaker backing Penske had known about the situation.
“We respect the decision and actions of IndyCar as well as Team Penske’s commitment to improve their processes and controls,” Reuss said in a statement.
“Chevrolet engaged a third-party law firm to conduct a thorough review of the matter and they found no evidence that any Chevrolet employee had any knowledge of or involvement in the matter.
“Chevy looks forward to engaging with IndyCar and our partner race teams to assist in any enhancements that further support the integrity of IndyCar competition.”
The mess arises ahead of IndyCar’s signature event, the Indianapolis 500 oval classic, later this month.
