It seems as though the Bank of America Roval 400 is welcoming a new drama with every passing day. The Charlotte Motor Speedway saw a rather tough battle with Kyle Larson taking the lead on Sunday. However, since then there have been multiple happenings at the speedway that have caught attention. While Alex Bowman was under disqualification, even after making it to the Top 8, Austin Dillon was under a rather stringent team penalty. And the reason behind the penalty might shock you as well!

Detached wheel leads to misfortune for crew members

As crew members, taking up onus could be critical, and this is where NASCAR takes rules very seriously! The Bank of America Roval 400 got two of Austin Dillon’s crew members penalized. During the race, the No. 3 Chevrolet left the pit stall in a hurry, and this is when all the drama started to unfold.

Joshua Thomas, the front tire changer, and Nicholas [Nick] Covey, who works on the jack for Richard Childress’s crew members, faced the fury and were held accountable. This happened after Austin made a pit stop but left in a hurry even before the four wheels were completely tightened. This posed a serious safety threat on the track. Dillon returned to the track where he lost the left front wheel. Soon his BetMGM-sponsored vehicle drew a late-race caution on the track.

The loose wheel violates 8.8.10.4.A & C from the NASCAR rule book. This rule encompasses the regulations in case there is an improper tire or wheel installation. The event also invited the sanctioning body to conduct a further inspection, which ultimately led to them penalizing the crew members. Austin Dillon finished the race in the 32nd position.

• Thomas and Covey will miss the pit stops at Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami Speedway due to a NASCAR penalty but are set to return for Martinsville Speedway.
• In their place, Michael Johnson—a part-time Cup Series crew member with experience at Richard Childress Racing, Kaulig Racing, and Team Amerivet—will handle front tire duties.
• Garrett Crall, who’s been a jackman for various Richard Childress and Kaulig Racing teams, steps in as interim jackman.

But the penalties don’t stop there! NASCAR also fined four other crew members $50,000 each for unsecured lug nuts. This group includes;

1. Andy Street from Richard Childress Racing
2. Jeff Meendering from Joe Gibbs Racing
3. James Pohlman and Philip Bell from JR Motorsports

NASCAR’s strict safety standards are evident here, but thankfully, these penalties won’t impact driver standings.

Charlotte Roval entails a tale of never-ending drama

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The post-match proceedings at Charlotte have been even more interesting than the actual race! Along with Richard Childress’ team crew members being under penalization, four crew members are also facing a financial penalty, and Alex Bowman also faces points DQ. Such were the repercussions that Bowman lost his position in the Top 8 to Joey Logano and was dropped down to P38.

Alex Bowman made it to the top 8 after finishing off in the 18th position. However, after going into the playoffs, the NASCAR mandate ensures inspection of every car for weight-related specifications. The car failed to meet weight specifications and crossed the threshold by 17 pounds. Team Hendrick had the opportunity to go in for a re-appeal. Consequently, an official statement made it evident that the team did not opt-in for the same.

“NASCAR allows a clear margin to account for the difference in pre and post-race weight. After a thorough review by our team and the sanctioning body, we simply did not give ourselves enough margin to meet the post-race requirement, although unintentional, the infraction was avoidable. We are extremely disappointed to lose a playoff spot under these circumstances and apologize to our fans and partners.”

As the Charlotte Motor Speedway drama continues to unravel with new twists and turns every day, will the Las Vegas Speedway also see a similar situation?