Santino Ferrucci’s No. 14 Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing has failed post-race inspection following the Detroit Grand Prix on Sunday. This makes the fourth car since the Indianapolis 500 to fail post-race inspection. Is this IndyCar regaining credibility for its failure to catch the Penske cars’ modifications, or something else?
Santino Ferrucci’s No. 14 Chevrolet Fails Post-Detroit GP Inspection,
On Monday, June 2nd, IndyCar released a statement that the second-place car of Santino Ferrucci, the No. 14 Chevrolet for AJ Foyt Racing, was found in violation of the IndyCar rulebook in regards to Driver Equivalency Weight.
IndyCar post-race inspection found that the weight of the driver and ballast, a method used to create an equal playing field between drivers of different sizes. The ballast and weight were under the minimum of 185 pounds, and the one-pound tolerance allowed
In a statement released by AJ Foyt Racing, the team said the car was under the minimum weight by 1.8 pounds. You can read the full statement here:
Team statement pic.twitter.com/GyBJv1WWl3
— AJ Foyt Racing (@AJFoytRacing) June 2, 2025
It was also found that the car was over the minimum weight, yes, you read that correctly, overweight. IndyCar regulates that the cars must weigh a minimum of 1,785 pounds on street and road courses. It was found that the No. 14 Chevy was 10 pounds overweight.
IndyCar will allow Ferrucci to keep the second-place finish. They were fined $25,000 and 25 championship driver and owner points.
Read More: King of the Streets: Kyle Kirkwood Wins the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
4th IndyCar Post-Race Disqualification in Two Races:
Since the Monday following the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500, this is the fourth car that has failed post-race inspection in two races. At the Indianapolis 500, IndyCar found the Nos. 27 and 28 cars of Andretti Global in violation of the IndyCar rulebook section 14.1.3.
That section regulates the modification of supplied parts. Nos. 27 and 28 were found to have modified Dallara-supplied parts with unapproved spacers and parts. IndyCar technical inspectors claim this gave the cars an aerodynamic advantage, thus disqualifying them.
IndyCar officials also penalized the No. 90 of Prema for violations. They found the No. 90 in violation of rulebook sections 14.7.6.8 and 14.7.6.4, which regulate the height and location of the rear wing endplates.
Nos. 27,28, and 90 were reordered to the rear of the field, with the points and prize money relevant to those positions. In addition, they also received a 100,000 dollar fine.
Read More: Alex Palou Becomes a Part of Racing History at the 109th Indianapolis 500
IndyCar Teams Cheating Or Officials Trying To Regain Credibility?
With all the chaos that unfolded during Indy 500 qualifying involving the No. 2 and No. 12 Penske Chevrolets, the timing of recent events raises questions. Several team principals — and even IndyCar president Doug Boles — have discussed the potential need for independent inspection officials.
Since that qualifying controversy, four cars have failed inspection. From my perspective — as someone who closely follows IndyCar, though perhaps not as intensely as some — it appears these actions may be a direct response to that incident.
It feels like IndyCar officials were caught asleep at the wheel and are now scrambling to reassert control. They know the entire paddock is watching, and the pressure is on.
Could it be that we’ve seen four illegal racecars, and the inspection team finally did their job? From a thousand-foot view, it seems they’ve stepped up, not just out of duty, but in response to external pressure, for the good of the series.
Read Next: Harsher Penalties For Team Penske In Indianapolis 500
Main Photo: Joe Skibinski, Penske Entertainment
Recording Date: 6/1/2025
