No. 14 Failed To Meet Required Driver Ballast Weight

INDYCAR has announced a post-race technical inspection penalty for the entry No. 14 of A.J. Foyt Enterprises following Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear after it was found to be under the required driver ballast weight following the event.

During post-race inspection of car No. 14, INDYCAR discovered the driver ballast needed to bring the combined weight of the driver and driver ballast to 185 pounds was underweight and not within the driver ballast weight tolerance of 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds.

However, also during inspection, the series found the weight of car No. 14, itself, was 10 pounds over the minimum weight for road and street circuits of 1,785 pounds and competed over the minimum weight requirement on-track.

A.J. Foyt Enterprises was in violation of:

  • Rule 14.4.2. Driver Equivalency Weight
    • Rule 14.4.2.2. Driver Equivalency Weight must bring the combined weight of the Driver and Driver ballast to 185 pounds.
    • Rule 14.4.2.5. The Driver ballast weight tolerance is 0.00 to + 1.00 pounds. The Driver Equivalency Weight must be installed and secured in the designed location forward of the seatback. This location may only be used for Driver ballast.

This rule is in place to equalize the weight of varying-sized drivers so there is no advantage based on the weight of the driver. Post-race weight determination, as implemented by INDYCAR, is a common practice after every event and in nearly all forms of motorsports to ensure an equal playing field.

The No. 14 will be allowed to keep the second-place finish; however, the entry has been fined $25,000 and will forfeit 25 championship driver and entrant points. The bonus point for leading a lap also is not awarded. The No. 14 also is ineligible for engine points and prize money associated with the race.

Updated results of the 2025 Detroit Grand Prix can be found here.

Members may contest the imposition of the penalties detailed in the review and appeal procedures of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rulebook.

AJ Foyt Racing issued this statement in response to the penalties:

"We acknowledge and accept the penalty issued for being 1.8 lbs. under the required driver ballast weight. This was an unintentional oversight, and we take full responsibility for the mistake. Our car was, in fact, 10 lbs. over the minimum total weight, and the discrepancy in ballast was not intended to gain a competitive advantage.

"However, we recognize that compliance with every rule is critical to ensuring fairness in this sport, no matter how minor the deviation may seem. We are working closely with our technical team to strengthen our processes and ensure this does not happen again.

"We’re grateful for the passion and integrity of INDYCAR, and while this situation is disappointing, we respect the rules that keep our competition honest and safe. Most importantly, we remain committed to racing the right way—for our fans, our partners and our sport."