INDYCAR Shifts to Independent Officiating Ahead of 2026 Season
- Jeffrey Hrunka
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
JEFFREY HRUNKA - INDYCAR CONTRIBUTOR
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone announced Thursday that they will pivot to an independent officiating system for the 2026 season on Dec. 11. The new organization, INDYCAR Officiating Inc., has been established as a third-party Independent Officiating Board (IOB) separate from Penske Entertainment and the sanctioning body.
“We have remained committed to independent officiating for 2026, and we are pleased to announce this next step,” INDYCAR president Doug Boles said. “The INDYCAR team owners and the FIA have selected a world-class board with high character, incredible knowledge and an intense passion for motorsports and INDYCAR racing.”
The board members’ next steps will be to appoint a Managing Director of Officiating (MDO) and develop an annual budget. Two members were selected by INDYCAR team owners, with a third chosen by the Federation Internationale de I’Automobile (FIA).
The members selected by the charter INDYCAR teams were Ray Everham, a former NASCAR crew chief and team owner, and Raj Nair, the former executive vice president of Ford’s global product development. Ronan Morgan, a member of the FIA World Motorsport Council and an advisor to the FIA President, was the FIA’s choice. This is the only involvement the FIA will have in INDYCAR’s independent officiating system.
“INDYCAR is an American icon and I am proud of the relationship we are building together,” FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said. “The FIA’s independent expertise in delivering consistent officiating oversight across our World Championships, combined with INDYCAR’s innovation and competitive spirit, will support the continued growth of the series. I look forward to the work ahead of us.”
Thursday morning’s announcement is welcome news to many fans of the American open wheel series. Over the last two years, Team Penske, owned by INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske, has suffered the sport’s two most significant penalties in recent memory. While Penske has no involvement in giving out penalties, it has raised questions from fans and personnel within the sport.
Two years ago, the trio of Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Scott McLaughlin received significant penalties because of the team's illegal use of push to pass, manipulating the system to use the boost on the starts and restarts of the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 10, 2024. McLaughlin and Newgarden were disqualified from the event for exploiting the error, while Power had a 10-point penalty for having the ability to use it, but didn’t. These ramifications didn’t come out until more than a month after the race was run.
Then, during 2025 Indianapolis 500 qualifying, Newgarden and Power were taken off the grid because each car had illegally modified rear attenuators, resulting in both vehicles being dropped to the back of the grid. After the penalty, Team Penske fired several key personnel due to instances over the past two years, compounding what had already been a difficult season for the Indianapolis-based team.
Team Penske didn’t step into the victory circle until the final three races of the season, in which Power and Newgarden won at Portland and Nashville, respectively, to end the losing streak. The team only combined for three podiums and a best finish of third leading up to the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
INDYCAR’s independent officiating system is the first step the series has made to be more transparent with the media and fans. While the process of hiring a Managing Director of Officiating (MDO) is ongoing, the person in this role will be responsible for complete oversight of officiating, including hiring race and INDYCAR technical inspection personnel, with no oversight from INDYCAR or Penske Entertainment officials.
“We are excited to launch this new structure of INDYCAR officiating and know the officiating board will approach this charge with diligence and a sense of shared responsibility,” Mark Miles, Penske Corp. President and CEO, said. “They will work independently to hire the right person to carry this mission forward and provide successful implementation for the 2026 seasons.”