IndyCar has found itself unexpectedly thrust into a political controversy after the Department of Homeland Security unveiled a new immigration detention expansion in Indiana—dubbed the “Speedway Slammer.” The administration promoted it with an AI-generated image that portrayed a race car styled like an IndyCar, emblazoned with “ICE” branding and bearing the number 5, eerily mirroring the car driven by Mexican-born IndyCar competitor Pato O’Ward. Both IndyCar officials and O’Ward expressed surprise and dismay, noting that neither the series nor the driver had been consulted or given authorization for the use of this imagery. IndyCar has formally requested that their intellectual property no longer be associated with the campaign.