NASCAR does it. F1 does it. IndyCar does it. MotoGP does it. CARS Tour does it. Practically every touring series for motorsports does it. But INEX does not, and it doesn’t look like they ever will any time soon.
What is it? Publicly posting post-race or conduct penalties in the Legend Car and Bandolero motorsports world, or providing that information to the media when requested. INEX Racing Series has chosen to keep that information quiet and behind closed doors, not even letting the competitors or race tracks know. So, why all the secrecy?
In the majority of professional sports worldwide, including the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and Major League Baseball (MLB), team or player penalties relating to conduct during play and after are generally published directly by the governing body, or provided directly to the media without request. This includes most professional motorsports series, including NASCAR, F1, IndyCar, and more. INEX Racing Series, which is the sanctioning body for Legend Cars and Bandoleros created by U.S. Legend Cars International (both companies owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc.), at one time did publish penalties to their website. However, in current-day racing, choose to not publish any penalties of any sort, and refuse to provide that information to anyone requesting, including news media.
“Currently, it is our policy to keep specific penalty details between INEX Officials & the driver receiving the penalty,” said Scott Reinhardt, INEX General Manager. “If that driver chooses to give details, that is their choice. In our situation, I do not believe it is appropriate for INEX to post details of every penalty situation, from a simple disqualification to a ban from racing INEX sanctioned events. If we were to post specific details, I feel it would need to be “all or nothing” to keep it fair to all & currently, I just don’t think that would be possible.”
At many events where Legends Nation has attended, the INEX tech official on site will sometimes provide official generic disqualification verbiage and reasoning to LN staff based on a tech issue. Additionally, some race directors have told LN if a driver has been disqualified or not allowed to race due to conduct. However, penalties received at more than 1200 INEX sanctioned events annually are unknown, only shown by a “DQ” in the results, and suspensions or fines are never made known. Legends Nation asked INEX why they feel hiding penalties of any kind, whether a disqualification or suspension, is the current standard.
“INEX doesn’t hide penalties,” Reinhardt told LN. “I stand behind a statement I have made several times in the past. We do not have secrets. However, as in all businesses, some things are confidential.”
Understandably, over the years this has led to many in the sport distrusting the sanctioning body. Multiple people within the sport told LN on condition of anonymity, due to fear of series retribution, they feel INEX picks and chooses what penalties they give or rescind, based on “favorites” or what kind of money or industry clout that individual has.
INEX says that isn’t the case.
“INEX has issued penalties similarly for 30 plus years,” explained Reinhardt. “There isn’t “manipulation” of rule enforcement. However, as stated previously, each particular situation has to be considered on the facts of that situation. “Many” would like to have 100% set penalties for each “issue”. I don’t think that is possible considering that each situation in unique. I do strive to be honest when speaking about penalties. However, sometimes, that does mean “no comment” when addressing a specific incident.”
Legend Car and Bandolero racing is different from most other motorsports as there isn’t one set schedule in the USA for the series. There are over 170 INEX-sanctioned race tracks across the country that can race on any given weekend, and during the busy summer months, there can be upwards of 70 tracks racing events that include Legends, Bandoleros, or both. With that though, if a driver is suspended after conduct at one track, none of the other tracks receive any direct knowledge that a driver is suspended.
“When a driver is suspended from INEX sanctioned events, that driver is notified that any further issues during their suspension would lead to an increased penalty,” said Reinhardt. “Certainly, if they were to compete at an INEX sanctioned event during their INEX issued suspension, they would face further penalties. We do try & notify the track that the incident occurred at & the officials directly involved with the particular situation. However, there isn’t a “posting to all tracks or officials”.”
The INEX Racing Series rulebook does not disallow non-INEX licensed drivers competing in INEX sanctioned races at tracks, which has frustrated many drivers due to the way the INEX points structure works. A minimum number of drivers, and drivers in class, is required for all INEX licensed drivers to receive full maximum points at a racing event. However, if a track allows non-licensed drivers to race and the competitors aren’t aware, they might think they are getting their full points when they aren’t, which has in the past affected the end-of-season points standings and national championship outcome.
If tracks are allowing, with or without knowledge, non-licensed drivers to compete, or are not aware a driver is currently under penalty or suspended and they compete in a race, it can negatively affect many drivers, compromising the integrity of race results, championships, and the entire sport of Legend Car and Bandolero racing.
“In some situations tracks will let a competitor race (knowingly or unknowingly) without an INEX membership,” Reinhardt told Legends Nation. “When this is found by INEX we do address the track to get this resolved as soon as possible. INEX would have to reconsider the sanctioning agreement of a track that continually let drivers compete without an INEX membership. Certainly, an INEX sanctioned track knowingly allowing a driver to compete that is under INEX suspension would be addressed. That competitor would also be issued further penalties.”
While it doesn’t seem INEX will change their current approach of not publishing penalties, they do have the option to do so in the future. Direct from the 2025 INEX Racing Series rulebook, “INEX Headquarters shall have the right to publish notice that it has imposed a Penalty and the reasons therefore, and the person or body referred to in such notice shall have no right to act against INEX or the person publishing the notice.”
What do you think? Should INEX make penalties public? Or do you think they are doing the right thing to keep them quiet? Discuss on the Legends Nation Facebook page by clicking here.