PORTLAND, Ore. – Rinus VeeKay’s No. 21 Chevrolet will start Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland six positions behind where it qualifies because of an IndyCar grid penalty.
Series officials announced the penalty Saturday morning.
The No. 21 Sonax Chevrolet was penalized for an unapproved engine change following the Aug. 21 race at World Wide Technology Raceway.
The team was in violation of:
Rule 16.2.3.2 A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.
According to the rulebook, the penalty for such a change comes at the series’ next event, which is the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Sept. 12 at Portland Int’l Raceway.
VeeKay and the remainder of the 27 car/driver combinations will qualify for Sunday’s race at 3 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday.