IndyCar penalizes Hunter-Reay, others after NOLA

The harshest of the penalties came down on on Ryan Hunter-Reay who was a part of the race ending three car pile up with Sebastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud.

The Andretti Autosport driver has had three drivers' championship points taken away and has been placed on probation for three races for avoidable contact.

Replays showed  that the 2012 champion had a large amount of space to his inside of the next of a corner, forcing Simon Pagenaud off of already tough track conditions onto the soaking wet grass.

Pagenaud then slid into the path of Hunter-Reay and Bourdais in the ensuing corner.

Mid-way through the race, Francesco Dracone lost control of his car entering pitlane and making heavy contact with one of his crew members.

The crewman would require six stitches and will likely have a period of recuperation. Contact with a crew member brought down a $10,000 bill on the Dale Coyne driver.

Additionally, IndyCar handed down the following penalties for minor pit lane infractions: $500 to Marco Andretti for lifting his visor during a pitstop, $500 to Dale Coyne Racing for a crewman feeling with his visor up, $500 to Andretti Autosport for a crewman not attending a tire during a pitstop and having equipment leave the pit stall, and finally a $500 fine to  KVSH Racing for a crewman going over the wall without a helmet.

IndyCar procedures now allow teams and drivers to appeal the decisions made by the sanctioning body.