In a heartfelt and emotional news conference, reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Josef Newgarden publicly apologized for manipulating the push-to-pass system during his season-opening IndyCar win, which has since been stripped. Newgarden accepted full responsibility for his actions and expressed his deep remorse, calling the incident an embarrassment.

Speaking at the Barber Motorsports Park, Newgarden expressed his apologies to the fans, partners, teammates, and competitors within the racing community. He acknowledged that throughout his career, he has strived to hold himself to a high standard and admitted to falling short in this instance. The two-time series champion described the situation as difficult and incredibly embarrassing to go through.

Newgarden affirmed that IndyCar's decision to disqualify him and strip away his victory at St. Petersburg was the right one. The open-wheel series, owned by motorsports giant Roger Penske, made the ruling, causing turmoil within IndyCar as the prestigious Indianapolis 500 approaches.

Expressing his regret and remorse, Newgarden stated, "It's crushing. I'm going to look back on it, too, and say I don't want that win on my books, either. I don't want it. I'm glad they're taking it away. If it was tainted, I don't want to be near it. Unfortunately, it is. I can't reverse that in time. It's good what's happened."

The repercussions of the rule violations weren't limited to Newgarden alone. His Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, who finished third in the race, also faced disqualification, while fourth-place finisher Will Power received a 10-point deduction despite not being directly accused of any wrongdoing. The Penske drivers were collectively fined $25,000 as the manipulated systems were present on all their cars.

Team Penske has maintained that the push-to-pass system was unintentionally left on their three Chevrolets following an engine test session. Videos from the race clearly showed Newgarden using push-to-pass illegally on restarts. IndyCar strictly prohibits the use of the system during starts and restarts, where the feature should be disabled. The issue came to light when a glitch affected all cars except the Penske entries during a California race.

Newgarden revealed that Penske was initially displeased with the situation and subjected him to an interrogation. However, the driver commended Penske for his high integrity. Newgarden also met with IndyCar President Jay Frye, who seemed unconvinced by Newgarden's explanation during their meeting.

Expressing his uncertainty about regaining the trust of his fellow competitors, Newgarden acknowledged that earning back their faith would not come easily. He vowed to let his actions speak for themselves and seek redemption through his behavior on the track.

While some competitors, like Andretti Global driver Colton Herta, remain skeptical of Newgarden's claim that he was unaware of the rule violations, Newgarden remained steadfast in his remorse and desire to move forward.

As the IndyCar community grapples with the fallout from these rule violations, the focus now shifts towards the upcoming Indianapolis 500, where Newgarden and the rest of the field will have an opportunity to showcase their talents while adhering to the regulations set forth by the series.