INDIANAPOLIS -- IndyCar has fined Schmidt Peterson Motorsports $20,000 and penalized the team and Canadian driver James Hinchcliffe 25 points for an infraction found during postrace inspection in Texas.
Jay Frye, IndyCar's president of competition and operations, said Wednesday that the skid plate on the No. 5 entry was found to be worn and in violation of rules after the race Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway.
"This was both a performance advantage and a safety concern," Frye said. "The domed portion of the skid had been ground down to the point it would have been ineffective.