In an odd turn of events, Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Will Power are set to be "honored" after their teams were found to have illegally modified the attenuators on their No. 2 Chevrolet and No. 12 Chevrolet, respectively.
The initial penalty was that neither driver would be able to turn a four-lap qualifying attempt around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Sunday's Top 12 qualifying session for the 109th running of the Indy 500. As a result, they were set to start this coming Sunday's 200-lap race in 11th and 12th place, respectively.
But upon further review, they were dropped to the rear of the 33-car field, with Newgarden in 32nd place and Power in 33rd. And as a result, they are now set to partake in the 53rd annual Last Row Party on Thursday at Dallara IndyCar Factory.
For those of you who think this is a joke, it is not.
This party is a special Indy 500 tradition in which the three drivers set to start on row 11 in the 33-car field are "roasted" by a live audience, and this year's is certainly worth paying attenuator...err, attention...to. They are given checks for 31, 32, and 33 cents, respectively.
If not for Penske bending the rules, Newgarden and Power would not be a part of this event, and the violations were no joke, as Tim Cindric, Ron Ruzewski, and Kyle Moyer, three of the team's top men, were all released by the team in the wake of the scandal, the second Penske "cheating" scandal since March 2024.
Newgarden and Power would also be a combined 65 cents poorer.
Set to join the Penske teammates in what may very well be the most awkward Last Row roast of all-time is ironically a driver who, in five previous attempts, had an insanely impressive combined starting position of 19: Dale Coyne Racing's Rinus VeeKay. He originally qualified last, bumping out rookie teammate Jacob Abel in the Last Row Shootout.
Andretti Global's Marco Andretti and Meyer Shank Racing's are the big winners here, as they were promoted from the back row due to the Penske penalties and no longer get to be a part of this "honor".
When it comes to having one less obligation on race week, you take it.
Power is the only one of the three who has started from row 11 before. He started in 32nd place in 2021. Newgarden has never started lower than 25th (row nine) in 13 previous starts, while VeeKay has never started lower than seventh (row three) in five previous starts.
The event is held annually in partnership with the Speedway and is the Indianapolis Press Club Foundation's largest fundraise.
Tickets are $60 and can be purchased here.
Marshall Pruett is set to serve as the emcee for the second year in a row.
The 109th running of the Indy 500 itself is set to be shown live on Fox from Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET this Sunday, May 25. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action from the "Racing Capital of the World"!