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NASCAR hit Stewart-Haas Racing with two L1-level penalties on Tuesday following last weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Both the No. 10 Ford driven by Noah Gragson and the No. 41 Ford driven by Ryan Preece had their roof rails confiscated by NASCAR at the race track. As a result, both teams have been docked 35 driver and owner points according to Tuesday’s penalty report.
According to the NASCAR Rule Book, roof air deflectors must meet specific criteria as outlined in Section 14.5.6.1.a. These criteria include being constructed of 0.05-inch thick aluminum, being installed perpendicular to the applicable slots, not interfering with the functioning of the roof flaps, and being painted.
“It’s a team part, but it has to meet the CAD drawing,” stated NASCAR Senior VP of Competition Elton Sawyer during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday. “And in this case, it didn’t meet that.”
Additionally, Joey Logano, the driver of Team Penske’s No. 22 Ford, has been fined $10,000 for modifying an SFI-approved protective glove. Section 14.3.1.1 (“Driver Protective Clothing/Equipment”) in the NASCAR Rule Book mandates that protective gloves meet SFI-approved specifications.
After qualifying second at Atlanta, Logano was sent to the rear of the field for the start of Sunday’s race and issued a mandatory pass-through penalty following the green flag.
“What happened at the race track and the way it was handled was strictly based on performance and using that device,” explained Sawyer on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “Now, altering an SFI-certified safety piece of apparel, that’s a different topic.”
Logano’s left-handed glove was modified with webbing between the thumb and index finger, which violates the separate sections requirement stated in the SFI specifications.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota piloted by Ryan Truex was found to have one unsecured lug nut following Saturday’s race. As a result, crew chief Seth Chavka has received a $5,000 fine.
Furthermore, SS GreenLight Racing crew chief Jason Miller has been suspended from each of the next two NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. Miller, crew chief of J.J. Yeley’s No. 14 Chevrolet at Atlanta, was found in violation of Section 4.4.D of the Xfinity Series Rule Book, which specifies “member-to-member confrontation(s) with physical violence (e.g. striking another competitor)” as an action that might result in a fine and/or suspension. Miller confronted and became physical with driver Kyle Weatherman following Saturday’s race.