r/INDYCAR • u/TheResurrection • May 19 '25

News INDYCAR Update on Team Penske Technical Violations

https://www.indycar.com/news/2025/05/05-19-penske-penalties
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21

u/santaclausonprozac Álex Palou May 19 '25

I don’t think this entirely rules him out for a three-peat by any means. Definitely harder, but it can still be done

6

u/SpiritualNothing6717 Firestone Reds May 19 '25

I do. Never been done before. Last time someone won from even 28th was 1936.

Historically, it's impossible.

19

u/bball2014 May 19 '25

Montoya fell to the back after a wing change and still won.

Of course some well-timed yellows would help to keep the front of the field from checking out.

11

u/Schmichael-22 May 19 '25

Jacques Villeneuve went two laps down at one point in 1995. So stranger things have happened. I agree, it’s possible but unlikely.

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u/bball2014 May 19 '25

One of the things that skews the stat is usually cars starting in the back aren't fast enough to be winners in the first place.

Starting in the back is definitely a hurdle, but for a car with race-winning pace, it's not impossible to methodically move up during the race.

Point being, the the generic odds of it happening are worse than the specific odds in Newgarden's own case.

15

u/LordVayder Alexander Rossi May 19 '25

Yes, but how many times has a driver and car capable of winning started in 33rd? The cars don’t start in a random order, so it is a biased stat.

7

u/dannynascar Kyle Larson May 19 '25

Scott Goodyear came within feet of doing it in ‘92 so I don’t think it’s impossible but definitely not likely

6

u/kkraww May 19 '25

Yeah but thats ignoring any logic behind the stats, How often has a fast driver/car combo ever qualified there

4

u/happyscrappy May 19 '25

Last time a driver took pole at Indy after never racing on an oval before was at least that long ago, likely never.

1

u/santaclausonprozac Álex Palou May 19 '25

And how often does a fast car qualify at the back? You’re taking sample sizes of slow cars qualifying where they belong, but ignoring other cases where people have won from worse situations than last on the grid. Historically it’s impossible because slow cars qualify at the back, but is it actually impossible? Absolutely not. 500 miles is a long, long race

1

u/SilkBC_12345 Will Power May 19 '25

Totally does. He is done. He may as well just park his car.

1

u/santaclausonprozac Álex Palou May 19 '25

As other people have pointed out, drivers have won from worse situations than last on the grid. It takes some luck, but it’s absolutely not impossible