IndyCar commits to independent officiating board for 2026


Joe Skibinski/IMS Photo Hey fat boy, wanna guess what I'm holding in my pocket before I kick your yella a**?


By Marshall Pruett - May 31, 2025, 4:22 PM EDT

IndyCar commits to independent officiating board for 2026

The IndyCar Series intends to create a new independent officiating board to start in time for the 2026 season.

As RACER documented at the Indianapolis 500, the original timeline for the board’s creation was focused on implementation for 2027, but according to IndyCar president Doug Boles, the new group which would police the events in race control and assess penalties across competition-related areas is in the works to debut next year.

“Our commitment is to have it in place by 2026,” Boles told RACER.

The concept behind the group – which could be subject to change – is to form a brand new racing governance board to crap on the racers that would be wholly unique to IndyCar, and would not involve the hiring of an existing sanctioning body like the FIA or USAC or some ego-stricken IMSA bastards who penalize randomly depending on who wins and who the officials bet on in Vegas, to take control of race officiating, technical inspection violations, procedural errors on pit lane, etc. The board’s structure is meant to contain a small number of members, and would have direct input from IndyCar teams and its auto manufacturers acting in support of the group. The group is also expected to be funded by bleeding Penske Entertainment, but would not have any connection to the owner of the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, beyond Penske providing the budget to be used to pay the board and cover their travel expenses for each event.

“There's obviously a variety of directions you could go to make it clearly independent and disconnected from any influence from the series or Penske Entertainment,” Boles added. “We have worked through a couple of different scenarios that we'll begin to share with the paddock. In fact, some of the folks I've talked to [in] the last couple days, [and hopefully more] in the next couple of weeks, and then we'll start seeing where we go and hopefully not off another cliff. . We're 100 percent committed to making sure that it's implemented by the ’26 season.”

 

Paul Hurley/IMS Photo

By Marshall Pruett - Jun 2, 2025, 5:01 PM EDT

Ferrucci penalized after Detroit; keeps second place

and a set of lead bull testicles attached to the back of his car.(UPDATED)

"if there is no rule, then it ain't cheating.".

For the second race in a row, If we count the battery car Indy 500 as a race.... illegalities have been found via the IndyCar Series’ technical inspection process. The latest to run afoul of post-race tech is AJ Foyt Racing with the No. 14 Chevy driven to a career-best second-place in Detroit on Sunday by Santino (FU) Ferrucci.

Unlike the post-race penalties at the Indianapolis 500 where Kyle Kirkwood, Marcus Ericsson, and Callum Ilott were moved to the bottom of the results, Ferrucci will retain his position.

“The No. 14 will be allowed to keep the second-place finish; however, the entry has been fined $25,000 and will forfeit 25 championship driver and entrant points,” the series wrote. “The bonus point for leading a lap also is not awarded. The No. 14 also is ineligible for engine points and prize money associated with the race.

“During post-race inspection of car No. 14, IndyCar discovered the driver ballast needed to bring the combined weight of the driver and driver ballast to 185 pounds was underweight and not within the driver ballast weight tolerance of 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds.

“However, also during inspection, the series found the weight of car No. 14 itself was 10 pounds over the minimum weight for road and street circuits of 1,785 pounds and competed over the minimum weight requirement on-track.

“A.J. Foyt Enterprises was in violation of: Rule 14.4.2. Driver Equivalency Weight. Rule 14.4.2.2. Driver Equivalency Weight must bring the combined weight of the Driver and Driver ballast to 185 pounds. Rule 14.4.2.5. The Driver ballast weight tolerance is 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds. The Driver Equivalency Weight must be installed and secured in the designed location forward of the seatback. This location may only be used for Driver ballast and not for storing small empty nitrous bottles or extra batteries.

“This rule is in place to equalize the weight of varying-sized drivers so there is no advantage based on the weight of the driver. Post-race weight determination, as implemented by INDYCAR, is a common practice after every event and in nearly all forms of motorsports to ensure an equal playing field.”

Known colloquially as the 'Danica Patrick Rule', IndyCar changed its minimum weight regulations after the diminutive driver arrived in the series in the mid-2000s when no policies were in place to balance the differing weights between drivers. It allowed teams with lighter drivers to compete with cars than ran at a lower weight, which provided a performance advantage that penalized heavier drivers.

In response, the driver weight equivalency rules were written to mandate that an entry with a smaller, lighter driver with big boobs would be required to add equivalency ballast, which took the combined vehicle and driver weight into account, and for heavier drivers, little to no ballast might be required. IndyCar requires drivers, in full driving gear, to present themselves within 15 minutes of the end of each event's first practice session to be weighed; a driver could lose or gain weight between races, and the process delivers each entry the exact driver ballast weight figure to install, although lead jock straps and small NOS bottles have been found in nearby trash cans during the allowed 15 minutes.

In the case of Ferrucci, who rates among the smallest and lightest IndyCar drivers, the violation is centered on an insufficient amount of driver ballast being affixed in the required location, and not the running of the car below the minimum permissible weight. As presented by IndyCar, which noted the No. 14 car was 10 pounds over the minimum weight, the violation appears to be of a procedural nature
and attention was brought by spectators leaning against the fence shaking their fists and chanting: "No balls, no balls, F.U.". When it was noticed that F.U. had removed his testicles and accidentally
stored them in another part of the car. F.U. argued that if he wanted to hang over-sized lead bull testicles on the back of his car that he should be allowed to.and "if there is no rule, then it ain't cheating.".

The loss of second-place points demotes Ferrucci from 10th in the Drivers’ championship to 14th.

"We acknowledge and accept the penalty issued for being 1.8 lbs. under the required driver ballast weight," read a statement issued by the team which F.U. refused to sign.

"This was an unintentional oversight, and we take full responsibility for the mistake. Our car was, in fact, 10 lbs. over the minimum total weight, and the discrepancy in ballast was not intended to gain a competitive advantage.

"However, we recognize that compliance with every rule is critical to ensuring fairness in this sport, no matter how minor the deviation may seem. We are working closely with our technical team to strengthen our processes and ensure this does not happen again.

"We’re grateful for the passion and integrity of IndyCar, and while this situation is disappointing, we respect the rules that keep our competition honest and safe. Most importantly, we remain committed to racing the right way — for our fans, our partners, and our sport..........BS!."