INDYCAR Officiating has announced a six-position starting grid penalty in INDY NXT by Firestone for the No. 17 HMD Motorsports entry (photo, above) for avoidable contact involving driver Salvador de Alba during the Sunday, June 7 race at World Wide Technology Raceway. The penalty comes after a post-race review of the Lap 61, Turn 2 incident with the No. 15 entry of Cusick Morgan Motorsports.

De Alba was in violation of:

Rule 9.3.3. Avoidable Contact – The primary responsibility for avoiding contact with a Competitor resides with the overtaking Competitor and the secondary responsibility resides with the Competitor(s) being overtaken. A Competitor who fails to demonstrate their responsibility and initiates a maneuver that results in contact with another Competitor may be penalized.

According to the rulebook, a penalty can be applied at the next INDYCAR race if the penalty cannot be served at the event where the infraction took place.

INDYCAR Officiating applies carryover sporting penalties consistent with an Unapproved Engine Change-Out penalty, which consists of six grid positions on a road and street course and nine grid positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America Race 1 on Saturday, June 20 at Road America.