IndyCar: Coyne penalized after Houston Race 1 victory

RACER has learned the race-winning No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda piloted by Carlos Huertas failed post-race technical inspection after the Colombian rookie scored his maiden victory last Saturday on the streets of Houston.

The No. 18 was found with more than the allowed 18.5-gallon fuel capacity, adding an interesting twist to the 23-year-old's surprise win which was earned when the DCR team gambled with fuel strategy with the No. 18, leaving Huertas out to stretch his remaining fuel at the end of the race. A combination of fuel strategy and timely caution periods allowed Huertas to lead a 1-2-3 for Colombian drivers at Round 1of the Shell & Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston.

"We measured the capacity after the race and it needs to be where it's supposed to be, and it wasn't," said INDYCAR President of Competition Derrick Walker. "It was off by a very small portion. We looked at our data, how the race unfolded, and we determined the extra fuel did not play a part [in Huertas's win]. However, it was out of compliance by a small amount and we gave them a small penalty. Given that it was a fuel strategy race, that's the first thing you look at, and based on our analysis, it didn't affect the outcome. He never got the fuel that low to make the extra amount he had play into the final outcome."

DCR was also dinged for a rear wing height violation on the No. 18. Two $5000 fines have been assessed for the penalties, and the series is reconfirming its new wing height inspection process at the request of the team. 

The Houston win increased DCR's tally to four, yet two of those wins have resulted in post-race infractions.

DCR's Justin Wilson's most recent win came at Texas in 2012, yet the team was fined after a post-race technical inspection found Wilson's car carried aerodynamic aids leftover from the previous weekend's Indy 500. A bulletin distributed to all IndyCar teams after the "500" explained which items were legal for the Texas event, yet the leftover items affixed to the sidepods which were banned, went through IndyCar's technical inspection multiple times prior to the race and were not noticed.

Discovered after Wilson's win, the team was fined and lost points for the infraction.​