FIVE IndyCar drivers hit with penalties ahead of Milwaukee Mile race

A quintet of IndyCar drivers will suffer nine-place grid penalties for the first race of the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 on Saturday evening, having made unapproved engine changes ahead of the event.

Josef Newgarden, Nolan Siegel, Marcus Armstrong, Pietro Fittipaldi and Christian Lundgaard will all drop positions after making the alterations following last weekend's race in Portland.

READ MORE: IndyCar Series 2024: Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 doubleheader start times, schedule and TV channels

The result in Portland, paired with other recent results, means that the penalties are unlikely to impact the series' title race. Newgarden is the highest placed of the five, but is 131 points back from championship leader Alex Palou with just three races left.

Two of those three races come this weekend in Wisconsin, with only the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at the Nashville Superspeedway on September 15th to come after the double-header.

Competition update from #INDYCAR entering this weekend's doubleheader at Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/hcaH9OviGI

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 30, 2024

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IndyCar Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 penalties

A series statement on Friday afternoon read: "INDYCAR officials have announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 2 Team Penske, No. 6 Arrow McLaren, No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing and Nos. 30 and 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for unapproved engine changes following the Sunday, Aug. 25 race at Portland International Raceway.

Back on the Mile for the first time in a decade 👊

Practice for the #HyVee250s is live now on Peacock! pic.twitter.com/hRC9BKPecG

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 30, 2024

"The teams were in violation of:

"Rule 16.1.2.3.2. 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 16.1.6.1.2., 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 race, which is the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s Race 1 Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Milwaukee Mile."

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