IndyCar: How a morning warmup completely changed the 2024 championship

As a die-hard IndyCar fan with years of racing passion under my belt, I can’t help but feel a sense of intrigue and awe when it comes to the 2024 season finale. The revelation of Team Penske’s illicit access to the push-to-pass overtake system during restarts in St. Petersburg shook the very foundations of the championship race, and it was fascinating to watch how it all unfolded.

Six weeks had elapsed since IndyCar’s latest points race, the 2024 season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida, when a morning practice session for the April event on Long Beach, California’s streets uncovered a violation that dramatically shifted this year’s championship.

During an unexpected technical failure, it was discovered that Team Penske still held control over the pass activation system while it was deactivated for the other eight teams. A deeper probe found out that two out of their three drivers had exploited this unauthorized access during restarts at St. Petersburg, using it illegally.

In simpler terms, Josef Newgarden, the victor of the race, lost his victory and the 53 points he earned that day due to three separate rule infractions he committed under the belief that a rule change had occurred. The only point he retained was the one he had previously earned for securing pole position (legally).

Originally placed third, Scott McLaughlin had his position and the accompanying 35 points taken away from him after an unintentional button press was found to be the reason for his finish.

In the end, Will Power, who initially placed fourth but moved up to second due to his teammates’ disqualifications, lost ten points because his team, number 12, continued to have unlawful access, although he didn’t use it. This resulted in a total loss of two points for him.

45 days following the race, all drivers who placed behind Newgarden and McLaughlin were advanced in the rankings. As a result, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward was declared the new race victor.

But most importantly, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou was promoted from sixth place (28 points) to fourth (32 points).

It’s true that Palou picked up four points, while McLaughlin suffered a loss of 35 points. This ultimately resulted in Palou ending the championship with a 39-point lead over McLaughlin.

Did you wonder if he ever contemplated that particular situation, and whether it brought a feeling of relief upon discovery, Palou acknowledged that he hadn’t considered the potential points impact in such a hypothetical context. He then posed another query to clarify his understanding.

In response to Beyond the Flag, he confessed, “Not exactly. To be honest, I wasn’t aware of the situation. So, if we were competing, would it have been a tie or would he have emerged victorious?

If Palou had known he’d end up tied with McLaughlin and lose due to McLaughlin winning more races, since Palou only won two compared to McLaughlin’s three, he admitted that he might have exerted a bit more effort at the Nashville Superspeedway. Notably, it was soon after the green flag at Nashville that Palou effectively secured the championship, as Power encountered a seatbelt problem shortly thereafter.

33 points down, Power found himself competing, whereas McLaughlin, trailing by 50 points, was disqualified as the green flag waved because Palou initiated the race.

Ah, I see,” he replied, sounding intrigued. “Indeed, considering our performance in recent races, we could have made a bit more effort to move ahead. However, he’s been consistently strong throughout this season, highly competitive, and an excellent competitor overall. At times, he was virtually unbeatable. So, it might be challenging to maintain our position next year, but yes, I’m content with how things concluded for us.

As a dedicated gamer, if we hypothetically consider a scenario where all other factors stayed unchanged, it’s not far-fetched to believe that Palou was the one to beat. Even with such a massive 39-point lead, it seems he would have reigned supreme in the end.

That said, it’s an interesting possibility to consider, as IndyCar hasn’t seen a championship decided via tiebreaker since 2015.

Regardless of the humorous banter between Palou and McLaughlin on social media lately, since McLaughlin had to hope Palou wouldn’t compete in the season finale for him to mathematically stay in championship contention, Palou mentioned that the 39-point difference is unlikely something he would joke about in a similar way again.

“No, not really,” he stated. “I think we have a great relationship, and he did a really good job building up to Nashville. I thought it was amazing. It was fun for us, and it was fun for all the community following IndyCar and motorsport in general.”

In April, when the controversy arose, Palou showcased his exceptional sportsmanship and true class.

Earlier this week, Newgarden posted on social media about an incident where, despite the world, certain rivals, members of the press, and numerous spectators apparently turning against him, Palou remained supportive.

Later on, Palou pondered over the McLaughlin issue for a moment longer. Now that it seems like old news, he began considering if he could somehow find a humorous angle to the situation.

Absolutely, I plan to poke fun at some point. That could very well be during our award ceremony which is scheduled about two weeks from now in Indianapolis. I’ve got something special planned for that moment!

“But yeah, he is a great guy.”

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2024-09-20 17:32