Penske front office overhaul a move to protect Roger Penske's integrity

Roger Penske had to do something. And when Penske has to do something, it usually isn’t done in a meek way.

Penske released his top three INDYCAR race team executives — Tim Cindric (president), Ron Ruzewski (team manager) and Kyle Moyer (general manager). And not just because the team was found to have skirted the rule book twice in a 15-month period.

Certainly, that was part of it. But the firings dished out on Wednesday were necessary because these violations made people question Penske’s integrity, since he is the one whose company oversees the rules and runs the inspections of the race where his teams' cars compete.

When Penske in 2019 decided to purchase the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR, he acknowledged the inherent conflict of interest and at that time said he wouldn't sit on Team Penske pit boxes during events.

"I understand the integrity [issue], and there's got to be a bright line," he said at the time. "I know what my job is, and hopefully I've got enough credibility with everyone that we can be sure that there is not a conflict, and I'll do my very best to be sure that isn't.

"If you think it is, I know that you folks will tell me pretty quick. So I've got a lot of guys watching me."

Despite everyone watching, for the second time in less than 15 months, Penske teams have been found to significantly violate INDYCAR rules. 

Last year’s St. Petersburg issue was more egregious. Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin were disqualified (Newgarden had won the race) weeks after the event when it was discovered they had their push-to-pass engaged on restarts. INDYCAR rules require that it not be engaged until near the end of the first green-flag lap.

Few in the garage believed that it was anything other than