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Ericsson Finishes Second at Indy 500, Kirkwood Penalized to Rear for Unauthorized Car Modifications

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Following the conclusion of the Indianapolis 500, where he came in second place, Marcus Ericsson from Team Andretti Global faced penalties moving him towards the back end of the 33-vehicle lineup. His fellow team member Kyle Kirkwood also received similar sanctions. This decision was made due to discoveries during post-race inspections indicating unauthorized alterations in both drivers’ vehicles which had potential benefits for enhancing aerodynamics.

Ericsson finished second to
Alex Palou on Sunday
When he failed to execute a successful pass during the final stages of the race, he ended up being assigned a 31st-place result. Meanwhile, Kirkwood, whose initial standing was sixth, has been downgraded to 32nd place.

Andretti Global stated, ‘We have received the Indianapolis 500 Post-Race Notice from IndyCar,’” they said. “We are now allowing ourselves sufficient time to evaluate the details and plan to request a comprehensive review with IndyCar.’

IndyCar mentioned that the adjustments carried out by Andretti Global were related to the Energy Management System covers supplied by Dallara, which is responsible for providing the chassis for the series. According to the rules, these components should remain unchanged from their original delivery.

Ericsson and Kirkwood were forced to surrender their initial prize money and championship points, receiving instead the rewards associated with their penalty. Additionally, each car incurred a fine of $100,000, and the respective team’s competition managers have been barred from attending the forthcoming race in Detroit’s street circuit.

This proved to be an extremely expensive shift for Andretti since the Indy 500 prize money this year reached a record of $20,283,000.
Winner Palou is set to receive $3.8 million.
Ericsson will get $610,500 for securing the 31st position, whereas he had the potential to earn as much as $1 million with a second-place finish.

Kirkwood was originally awarded sixth place, but later fell to 32nd position and consequently received $607,500.

We had an excellent race, finishing sixth,” Kirkwood stated. “We will follow the review process, as our team prioritizes fairness and honesty. We aim to get everything right moving forward.

The disqualifications altered the final podium positions, elevating David Malukas from A.J. Foyt Racing to second place and Pato O’Ward from Arrow McLaren to third. This result was particularly significant for the Foyt team as it also included Santino Ferrucci securing an adjusted fifth-place finish, marking their strongest showing at the Indy 500 in a quarter-century.

The No. 90 vehicle driven by Callum Ilott did not pass the post-race technical check as it fell short of meeting the required standards for endplate height and positioning. As a result, both Prema Racing and Andretti Global received identical sanctions. Consequently, instead of securing the 12th position, Ilott will receive credit for coming in last at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Oh,” Ilott shared on social media upon hearing about the penalty. His earnings were reduced to $155,300. “I was at brunch, and it completely spoiled my day.

Ilott’s teammate at Prema, newcomer Robert Shwartzman, earned the title of top rookie of the race following his achievement as the first novice to secure pole position since 1983. Ilott playfully mentioned he nearly missed the award ceremony looking for Shwartzman to borrow money for covering an IndyCar penalty fee.

In a statement, Prema mentioned that Ilott’s front wing endplate failed to meet the required minimum height despite passing the technical scrutiny several times.

The problem did not result in any improvement in performance; ultimately, the vehicle became non-compliant with regulations by the conclusion of the race,” stated Prema. “As such, the team acknowledges complete accountability.” The statement continued, “Our team is presently examining the source of this issue. We anticipate introducing necessary measures to enhance oversight and prevent similar problems from arising moving forward.

Doug Boles, the president of IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, mentioned during the traditional Monday evening award ceremony that both Ericsson, Kirkwood, and Ilott were offered the chance to miss the event but chose to attend regardless.

To a person, Marcus, Kyle, and Callum all stated ‘None of us would want to miss out on the chance to attend the victory celebration for the most prestigious race in the world,’” Boles remarked. “This truly reflects the nature of the drivers competing in the IndyCar Series.

Already reeling from his second-place finish in the most significant race globally, Ericsson mentioned that the disqualification dealt him yet another setback.

“I haven’t grasped all the specifics yet; things are still quite recent, and our team is currently examining everything,” Ericsson stated prior to the award ceremony. “The sanctions certainly seem severe, but if these are the regulations in place, then we must adhere to them. We uphold the integrity of the sport.”

IndyCar’s inspection process came under scrutiny a week before the race, when the Team Penske cars of two-time winner
Josef Newgarden and Will Power
were discovered to have undergone unauthorized alterations to the rear shock absorber.

Newgarden and Power did not participate in the second stage of qualifying and started from the last row of the 11-row grid. Newgarden faced a fuel pump problem and came in at 25th place, while Power finished in 19th position. However, they will each advance three positions due to penalties imposed on Andretti Global and Prema Racing.

This is an opportunity for us all to progress since it’s during our toughest moments that our genuine character emerges,” Boles stated. “Together as a community, we will become stronger and improve ourselves. We will demonstrate to everyone what we are capable of.
saw 7 million spectators tune into this Indy 500 race.”

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AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer provided additional contributions for this report.

___

AP auto racing:
https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press

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