The first use of IndyCar’s new engine penalty rules have been applied to both of the series’ engine manufacturers heading into this weekend’s race at Barber Motorsports Park. In a change from the 2012-2013 policy that awarded 10-spot starting grid penalties to drivers whose engines required unapproved changes, IndyCar’s new penalty system directly affects the Manufacturers’ Championship without altering the starting grid.

A total of five 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engines from Chevy have been changed prematurely after the recent Grand Prix at Long Beach, leading to a 50-point loss in the Bowtie’s Manufacturers’ Championship tally (10 points per infraction).

Chevy runners Sebastien Bourdais (No. 11 KVSH Racing), Sebastien Saavedra (No. 17 KV AFS Racing), St. Petersburg winner Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske) and Long Beach winner Mike Conway (No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing) ran afoul of Rule 10.6.4 which states: Ten points will be deducted for an engine undergoing a non-minor repair that requires a component change, subject to IndyCar approval. The engine will no longer be eligible for points from Rule 10.6.4.2.

Rules 10.6.4.2 states: Ten points will be awarded for an engine that completes its life cycle.

Charlie Kimball (No. 83 Chip Ganassi Racing) was the fifth and final Chevy user to receive a fresh engine for Barber after suffering the first in-race failure of the year at Long Beach. Kimball’s change breached the 2500-mile minimum required by the series, breaching Rule 16.5.1.

Three Honda-powered cars also underwent unapproved engine changes, with Jack Hawksworth (No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport) breaking Rule 10.6.4, and teammates Simon Pagenaud and Mikhail Aleshin (Nos. 77 and 7 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entries) following Kimball’s theme by failing to comply with Rule 16.5.1.
Honda surrendered 30 points for its three infractions.

With two wins from the pair of season-opening events, and despite the points penalties, Chevy still holds a significant 197-112 lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship heading into Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.​