INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — All of the attention ahead of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 is squarely on Team Penske.
Not because Josef Newgarden is the defending race winner. Or because Will Power and Scott McLaughlin have been fast all week. Or because team owner Roger Penske, who also owns the series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, hopes that one of them can deliver his record-extending 20th trip to victory lane.
It’s because of the long shadow cast by a cheating scandal at St. Petersburg, Florida, that has followed Team Penske to the Brickyard. It is a “Fast Friday” tradition for Team Penske to open the day with a meet-the-team event led by the team president and the stable of Penske drivers.
But it was altered this year and mostly a sponsor appearance. Tim Cindric is, after all, one of four employees suspended by Penske because IndyCar found the team had illegal software on all three cars in the March season-opening Newgarden victory.
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