NASCAR penalties flew thick and fast this week, with Joey Logano receiving a hefty fine and dropping valuable points after using unapproved gloves at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Additionally, Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson faced points deductions for illegal modifications to their cars.
Joey Logano Fined, Stewart-Haas Drivers Lose Points in NASCAR Sanctions
Logano, piloting the #22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske, started Sunday’s race from the back of the pack after officials discovered his gloves violated safety regulations. The violation, a modified SFI-approved ‘webbed’ glove, resulted in a $10,000 fine and forced Logano to serve a pass-through penalty, severely impacting his race performance. He ultimately finished at a disappointing 28th.
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Penalties:
–Preece & Gragson docked 35 pts for roof air deflectors not in compliance (team-made part)
–Logano fined $10K for glove-safety violation (competition penalty was w/pass-thru)
–Yeley NXS crew chief Jason Miller suspended two races for Kyle Weatherman altercation
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 27, 2024
NASCAR Senior VP of Competition, Elton Sawyer, emphasized the seriousness of the offense, stating in a recent statement to SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio, “Now the next step of that is when you look at safety equipment, and we look at this very hard, we take it very seriously. There’s been numerous meetings over time about safety of the car and the equipment and the drivers, and when you take and alter that, that will be something that we discuss today if it needs to have an additional penalty added to that.” This suggests the possibility of further sanctions for the two-time Cup champion.
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Two more drivers from Stewart-Haas Racing, Preece (#41) and Gragson (#10), were assessed harsher penalties for infractions related to illegal roof rail deflectors. Both drivers and their teams lost 35 valuable championship points, each with the violations falling under Section 14.5.6.1 of the rule book.
NASCAR Week in Penalties Hits All Series
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While not as severe as the other penalties, Chase Elliott, driving the #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, was also guilty of an infraction in Atlanta. His team was penalized for making unapproved adjustments to his car, dropping him to the back of the starting grid for the race, similar to Logano. The punishment extended beyond the Cup Series. In the Xfinity Series, crew chief Jason Miller for J.J. Yeley’s #14 Chevrolet received a two-race suspension for a physical altercation with the driver of the #91 Camaro for DGM Racing, Kyle Weatherman after the race.
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Furthermore, the Craftsman Truck Series saw another penalty handed to Ryan Truex’s #19 Toyota crew chief, Seth Chavka. He received a $1,000 fine for a post-race inspection finding an improperly installed lug nut, a violation of Section 8.8.10.4a of the rule book which governs tire and wheel safety. These penalties serve as a reminder to teams of the importance of adhering to NASCAR’s strict safety regulations and technical specifications.