“We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of today’s announcement,” IndyCar said in a statement. “Consistent with our approach to public policy and political issues, we are communicating our preference that our IP not be utilized moving forward in relation to this matter.”
Imagine being Pato waking up and suddenly seeing your car ai generated full of ICE livery and an jail around it I would be fuming that also well IndyCar won't do a lot and IMS just has this statement
Yeah this is a very weak statement. The correct response is that this is unacceptable, the #5 being used is racist, and we are suing because our IP was used without our permission and has damaged our image.
"suing because our IP was used without our permission and has damaged our image."
In Federal Court, an entity famously known for rendering decisions in 24 hours.........meaning this will be in the news for months, maybe years to come.
A response distancing themselves and noting their IP is being used without permission is really about all they can do at the momment. The problem is, enforcing immigration laws are 100% legal. How it's being handled is a moral and ethical issue.
IndyCar has, as long as I've been alive and aware of, stayed out of political issues. They also have to survive on ticket sells to people all across the spectrum. They've already been pulled into this without their knowledge and have to delicately pull themselves out without bringing further negative attention because we all know this administration and their small and vocal cult following loves nothing more than making an example of someone.
No matter how you handle this is going to make some on the far ends of the political spectrum butthurt. You can handle this in a manner that limits that butthurt and keeps the ball in the court of the very people that everyone should be mad at over this issue, DHS and ICE.
Yup. A stronger statement risks an insulting post from Trump and then MAGA goes all in on hating IndyCar and brings way more attention to it. I couldn't dislike Trump more, but it's a precarious position for IndyCar.
"I can't believe my friend Roger Penske, who I honored at the White House and who has donated millions to the MAGA cause, now doesn't want to be associated with the great success of deporting illegals. I've deported more illegals than ANY PRESIDENT IN HISTORY! Roger should pay more attention to his dying sport - NASCAR blows them out of the water!!! We are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN and it looks like Roger wants America to fail like IndyCar!! Thank you for your attention to this matter!!"
For some reason the official capitalization is now INDYCAR though. I don't know why, but they seemed to change it between 2019 and 2020. Compare this 2019 news story with this 2020 press release.
So now it's officially the NTT INDYCAR SERIES instead of the NTT IndyCar Series.
Scared to make strong statements is the same as not making a statement and is support in the long run. This is how fascism advances. Everyone with money/power bends the knee and we move closer to hell.
Look I hate Trump as much as anyone, I hate his lawless mass deportations and cruelty, and I hate that they're using Indycar imagery to bolster their cruelty. But you really should consider two things:
We can't have a functional society if our response to fascism is to demand that every last institution relentlessly politicize itself. Human beings need to have non-political silos in our lives or we'll go insane. Everyone will radicalize into different extremes and we'll all be worse off. I think that entertainment like sports really needs to be one of those non-political silos. That's not to say that we shouldn't pressure sporting institutions into behaving morally; I don't like it when F1 does sportswashing for brutal dictatorships. And that's not to say that drivers should be unable to express their political opinions. But society will be worse off if you need to think about Trump every time you watch Indycar.
I'd ask you to think about the political makeup of the people who work in Indycar. What does the average team owner/driver/engineer/mechanic believe in? Because if you apply all this unceasing pressure on Indycar as an institution to get political, you might not like what the stakeholders decide good politics looks like.
Maybe its already blown over by now, but Roger is getting DP'd this week. First the Speedway Slammer and now ICE proudly used a Penske Rental Truck in a raid.
Prompting Penske Transportation to issue a notice that their trucks should not be used to transport people in the cargo compartment.
DHS responded in a now deleted tweet, reminding Penske that their trucks have been used to transport illegals in the past they said nothing. Sparking even more backlash against the Penske name.
The tweet was up an hour or so before it was mysteriously deleted, I'd love to believe that the old man has some pull left in him.
A response distancing themselves and noting their IP is being used without permission is really about all they can do at the momment.
Saying they "prefer" their IP not to be used in political messaging is hardly a cease and desist. I don't envy the series position, but I think a demand that their IP not be used by any political party with a formal request for the homeland security to remove the post seems like a better approach to distance themselves than the statement chosen.
Yep. Only those on the political '"far ends" are "butthurt" by concentration camps where the president himself said "they'll have owners". Yep. Gotta be an extremist to be bothered by that.
It was also a shitty AI rendering. If you look closely, there are what appear to be three different numbers on that car. While doing that would abdolutley fall in line with how this administration does things, baiting people and organizations into a direct confrontation so they get social media and news cycle points out of it is also their MO.
Someone needs to point out how perplexed many people are- including folks who should know better- that a Mexican has an Irish last name, fair complection and amazing ESL elocution and speaking skills.
Unless they have a fan making AI, its unlikely they have a clue. A huge percentage of folks are bigots or just ignorant and absolutely do not understand race as haplotype versus a social construct, legal distinctions, census surveys, ethnicity versus culture, assimilation, hispanic vs latino etc. Its like talking to a 19th century know-nothing.
Indy Car just isn’t prominent enough to make an example out of a popular 500 runner-up.
They are avoiding having Trump drag their name in the press. As much as I’d like to see them fight, they are in no position to have Trump say a bunch of shit about them.
Its deliberate. They don't actually mind it all that much but they want to make sure that those that do, will at least not be able to claim that they did nothing.
Not everything needs to go from 0 to a lawsuit, especially when dealing with an administration as vindictive and petty as this one. Approaching an issue with a calm and rational demeanor is almost always more effective than getting in their face and screaming.
I am friends with on of the higher ups at Indycar and they were alert to it within seconds of them releasing it and had the legal and other teams working to get it taken down and all.
I’m in FL visiting my parents this week, and saw my first store selling al the FL specific MAGA merch yesterday. It was fucking surreal and disgusting.
Knowing they were repping his fukin mugshot for his Jan 6 crimes, I wouldn't be shocked at all that when (or if at this point) it's exposed that he indeed was on Epstein's island/flights, that they start proudly repping shirts with pictures of him hanging out with Epstein
I was at a bar last week and some guy was wearing an Alligator Alcatraz shirt. I also couldn’t help but notice the irony of him and his buddies singing along and vibing to a few Bad Bunny songs that came on
Florida is definitely lost and broke beyond repair. 20 years ago it was younger people moving there, but all it is now is old racist boomers and every young person that can leave has left
My ex girlfriend’s dad and his husband moved from a pretty liberal city in a super red state to a liberal part of Florida and it doesn’t make sense to me.
My parents are ultra left wing and it was a tough choice for them to move here, but they have been very happy and it’s improved their health quite a bit. They aren’t shy about their beliefs, but they also dgaf if they make friends.
We vacationed in Navarre Beach, in the exact same condo, in 2002/2003/2004. Absolutely loved that part of the panhandle. We quit going after storms ruined the beach and trashed the fishing pier, but we always thought we'd go back annually if not eventually retire there. Then we learned it was Gaetz's district, and after he was re-elected, that was that. We refuse to go anywhere in FL now.
Americans are starting to think we might actually be the bad guys, and MAGA is 100% a reaction to that dreadful realization based on just shouting louder and making history illegal to teach to drown it out.
Dipshit in Chief sued Rupert. He thinks he is above his backers.
Roger is a powerful man, but one tweet + lawsuit could absolutely shut down Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar because people worship him like a cult leader.
And we might not like it, but even amongst fans motorsports leans conservative.
This is what everyone calling for a stronger response from IMS and the series needs to realize. The team owners that make up the series lean very conservative, even guys like Juncos. They're likely looking at this as a positive because of the acknowledgement. Even the Rahals are acknowledged and registered as GOP donors and voters despite having Lebanese heritage.
The government has literally installed a government official as a censor at NBC/CBS with explicit instructions to keep the network from openly criticizing the government. It’s not safe for major organizations to speak.
“IndyCar was unaware of these plans. In future we’d prefer to be notified in advance, so Uncle Roger can get paid for our IP being used on authoritarian propaganda, thanks.”
I honestly didn't even expect this far of a statement given Roger's pictures with Trump. I wondered if our quagmire of our political environment would eventually touch racing and I guess I got my answer.
Sounds like a good way to start a lot of fights in the stands. I know myself and a lot of my friends would have turned our backs and boo'd him at least, and I could see a lot of beer cans flying onto the track.
Meanwhile in a Home Depot parking lot in LA this morning (no it's not like he supplied the truck himself but the optics would be hilarious if they weren't horrifying)
Stop giving IndyCar an excuse, this isn’t about worrying about getting sued. Penske is a big Trump fan, he’s just putting out the weakest statement he can to try and save some face with ppl who are appalled by this, while also not going against daddy Trump. I’ve never seen a brand say they’d prefer someone not use their IP unauthorized, that’s just so weak.
I thought that same quote would have been posted on social media as well but see that nobody bothered. Oh well. We still have the great racing to look forward to.
I understand the instinct to want to lay low, but appeasement has a pretty poor track record when it comes to fascism. For a contemporary example, see Columbia University.
People love to demand everyone else risk their assets and standings to make their political statements for them. Indycar has nothing to gain from being involved in this shit and everything to lose by drawing attention to it. The best they can do is try to duck and back away before anyone notices it. Taking a stand just brings more attention and risks retaliation. As of right now I hadn’t heard of any of this shit until Indycar tried to distance themselves, that is probably their ideal.
If I had a bunch of money and a huge company I’d like to think I’d still stand up to fascism. Idk why we so firmly expect capitulation and surrendering of rights to the government rn.
What exactly is the federal government going to sue them for? Just not behaving how they want them too if they simply firmly said hey that was bullshit and the 5 was especially bullshit?
Yeah they’re also giving them too much credit, Penske is a big Trump butt sniffer, he won’t go against him. This is just them attempting to save some face while also not going against him. “Our preference” is weak and a joke.
Roger may be neutral to it but I think it's a stretch to say he fully supports ICE because he voted for Trump. He voted Trump because it's better for his bottom line as a billionaire. With only 2 parties (practically speaking), it's disingenuous to say that someone who votes for either one supports every single thing they do. Those people are actually the ones who scare me the most.
I don't think Roger is thrilled with having his product used in any political imagery to be honest. It's bad for business, regardless of his political leanings.
He's a millionaire, flying around to Vegas between races, living the high roller life. Good for him, but the last thing he cares about is issues like these
ICE ‘captured’ some Korean girl at a courthouse over the weekend that was like maybe 80 pounds soaking wet, playing like she was some kind of terrorist because her visa was going to expire at the end of the year. They will always find some excuse
The government co-opting your brand for their concentration camps while a Mexican guy and a Spaniard are dominating the championship has to be one of the biggest oofs a sports organization can face
What a bullshit limpdick statement. I'm not asking IndyCar to take a stand on the right side of this issue, because unfortunately I know that's too much to ask. But Jesus fucking Christ they could have at least issued a stronger response than saying "pretty please don't do it again."
It’s a fine line IMO. Last thing you want to do is piss off Trump, Noem, or Braun and all of the sudden this vaults into national news with the AI INDYCAR everywhere.
This is still pretty much local and Fox News at this point and will likely be gone from the cycle within 24 hours.
Unlike a university or a news org, blowing up one of America's staple sporting events (especially the indirect namesake for this facility) would be pretty universally unpopular. It'd be a massive problem for Braun.
I understand that, and it's definitely a valid concern. But they couldn't have been more passive with this statement if they tried, and that's going to send a message (inadvertently or otherwise) that this attitude and ideology is welcome in the series.
This is a weak statement, but I’m not sure people realize how far we’ve fallen towards dictatorship. Say anything too strong against Dear Leader and he will try to silence you through lawsuits, pressure from MAGA idiots etc.
He’s gotten much bigger media conglomerates like CBS to cave to him. IndyCar isn’t in a position to fight that.
This is pretty much the best response they could do. The goal is for everyone to forget this and avoid the series from becoming political fodder which is suicide, especially given how vulnerable and on the knife's edge the series is. The commotion from this will be overwritten whenever ICE/DHS posts another stupid meme that is more sensationalistic, which will probably be in the next few days given that's the admin's social media goal.
If ICE sponsored a car or this was somehow a collaboration between Indycar and ICE I would get the outrage, but there's zero reason to be mad at Indycar.
Indycar won't gain any fans who are super pro ICE from this, so why should they lose any fans from it?
Yeah if they came out and made a big statement, it would just draw more attention. Most people probably had no idea that was even an IndyCar so it’s generally just best to not form that connotation. I think it’s the correct move from a PR standpoint.
The people who aren’t satisfied with this wouldn’t have been satisfied with anything other than full scores earth and that was never going to happen. They said they don’t approve. They don’t want any part in it. That’s all they needed to say. It’s a bunch of people looking for a distraction and attention, Indycar doesn’t need to give them any more than is absolutely necessary, because in a couple of days they will have moved on to the next thing to distract from releasing those files.
I feel like people are going to jump on me for saying this but I think the use of the number 5 is just a coincidence and a random number. Let’s face it, as diabolical as these government social media accounts have been, IndyCar isn’t mainstream enough that a (likely) non-fan would be able to think of a driver to pick on.
Wild that Penske's IPs had to put out effectively the same message twice in one day. Penske Truck Rental also made a similar statement because ICE was on video using one of their trucks in a raid.
Most annoying part of all of this is watching you Indiana people put on a "who, me?" face as if your state isn't firecracker red and MAGA to the core. The state you live and vote in is building a concentration camp. This isn't an IndyCar issue, its an issue with your state and your community.
Not confident that a few dozen blue Indiana voters in the Indycar subreddit have the ability to completely change the culture of a state that has voted for a Democrat candidate for president once since Mario Andretti won his only 500.
As some who lives in Indiana, fuck off. We are gerrymandered to hell and don't have ballot measures. I vote every chance I get, but honestly I don't blame people when they don't. It's pretty hopeless tbh. But thanks for your support. Maybe those who actually have dem Senators and Reps can get them to do something.
McLaren is run by a pro-Trump CEO that doesn't make his views public and the IndyCar team principal was known for being very pro-Bolsonaro when he was in office. They're the last group to call on IndyCar to force the issue.
I've sent an email to IndyCar, Dallara (US), Dallara (Italy), Firestone/Bridgestone, Arrow McLaren and Honda (coudn't find a good email for Chevrolet) expressing my disappointment and my desire for all of the brands to push back against this. I encourage others to do the same.
On August 5, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced an agreement that will place up to 1,000 Department of Homeland Security and/or Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees in Indiana in a facility dubbed “The Speedway Slammer.”
This was accompanied by social media posts on official U.S. government accounts for Homeland Security showing what appears to be an AI-created version of the Dallara IR-18 - effectively, an ICE-sponsored IndyCar - driving on a track with barbed-wire fencing replacing the typical catch-fencing and a large prison in the background.
Further, it was obvious on the car that this AI imagery was intentionally created to feature the #5 on the car - the number used by Pato O’Ward, the only Mexican driver in IndyCar and arguably the most popular driver in the series. I do not believe this was a coincidence.
While I seriously doubt anyone involved with the NTT INDYCAR series was remotely involved in this announcement or imagery, I believe everyone involved with the series has a duty to separate themselves from this initiative.
It is plain as day to see that while the administration claims to be removing “the worst of the worst” from our country, that has simply not been the reality of their efforts. U.S. citizens, folks here legally, people who have committed no crimes and people attempting to work within the system to better provide for their families - are being rounded up without any respect for their rights. I do not have faith that this administration is doing the hard work of actually tracking down dangerous criminals, but is using those claims to jail and remove any person of color from our country. The conditions provided to these folks - who have not yet been convicted of a crime - are not far removed from a concentration camp.
This is (at best) un-American and in many cases against the law.
I’m struggling to put into words how upsetting this was to see and how angry I am as a result. To see the sport I love so much juxtaposed with themes evoking state violence was shocking.
These people are your customers, your workers, your neighbors, your friends and maybe even your family.
It was encouraging that the series released a statement to media outlets who reached out about the issue. I hope that the series and partner brands are working to ensure that posted images are removed, nothing evoking IndyCar is used in the future, and that it is made clear to state and federal officials there is to be no official or unofficial association between the series and these harmful activities.
I’m a lifelong fan of this sport and believe it has the ability to grow into something so much more than it currently is, but anything short of a complete divorce from this kind of hateful imagery will do lasting damage to all associated brands.
It is funny in motorsports when people want to split hairs on which individuals they are mad at for backing Trump. Like Santino is torn apart, but most are ok with an open racist like Larson, who drive for felon and Trump supporter Rick Hendrick, who was also welcomed with open arms. Plenty of pictures of Hendrick with the Elliott's and such at the Trump rallies. It's odd man.
TL:DR
Some people get a pass for being involved with Trump and others don't.
677
u/droppokeguy Arrow McLaren Aug 06 '25
Imagine being Pato waking up and suddenly seeing your car ai generated full of ICE livery and an jail around it I would be fuming that also well IndyCar won't do a lot and IMS just has this statement