- Effective immediately, NASCAR can now release the National Motorsports Appeals Panel and Final Appeals Officer’s rationale for modifying or rescinding a penalty.
- However, the action that those handling an appeal can take has been restricted.
- Under the changes, the appeals court and final appeals officer cannot completely remove any element of the penalty assessed originally provided for in the penalty notice.
Two weeks of turmoil in NASCAR’s appeals process have resulted in changes to the sanctioning body’s rulebook as more penalties were levied against Hendrick Motorsports after the weekend’s event past Richmond Raceway.
Effective immediately, NASCAR can now release the National Motorsports Appeals Panel and Final Appeals Officer’s rationale for modifying or rescinding a penalty. However, the action that those handling an appeal can take has been restricted.
Under the changes, the Appeals Panel and Final Appeals Officer may not completely remove any element of the originally assessed penalty provided in the penalty notice as defined in Section 10.5.2 of the Book of Rules. The determination of penalties, modifications to a penalty are limited to the minimum and maximum ranges indicated in the rule book.
An example provided by NASCAR states that if a penalty assessed consisted of points reductions, monetary fines and suspensions, all three elements of the originally assessed penalty must be upheld. However, the amount of each item could be adjusted within the minimum and maximum penalty ranges.
The changes announced Thursday came a week after a three-person National Motorsports Appeals Panel reinstated the 100 points and 10 playoff points NASCAR had slapped on Hendrick Motorsports for modifying the blinds of his four race cars at Phoenix last month. The appeals panel upheld the four-race suspension and $100,000 fine that NASCAR had assessed to each crew chief.
On Wednesday, a three-person National Motorsports appeals panel ruled differently for Kaulig Racing, which had received the same penalty for an identical violation. That panel reduced Kaulig’s 100-point penalty to 75 points, upheld the original $100,000 fine, the four-week suspension for crew chief Trent Owens and the 10-point playoff deduction.
Kaulig’s decision left the NASCAR community confused about the different rulings for the same violation. Kaulig is now appealing that decision to the Final Appeals Officer. No date has been set for this claim.
On Thursday, another three-person appeals panel upheld the $50,000 fine and 25-point deduction NASCAR assessed Denny Hamlin for admitting he intentionally put Ross Chastain into the wall at Phoenix. While Hamlin’s appeal was underway Thursday, NASCAR issued its penalty report for the subsequent races at Richmond and Texas.
After a post-race inspection at the NASCAR Cup garage in Richmond, it was announced that the cars raced on the short track by William Byron and Alex Bowman would be taken to the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, Carolina of the North, for its disassembly. NASCAR ruled the vehicle assembled in general, the record of engineering changes and the greenhouse of the car violated the rules. Replacement crew chiefs Brian Campe and Greg Ives were each fined $75,000 and suspended from two NASCAR events. The crew chief’s suspension begins April 13, after Hendrick’s regular crew chiefs return from a four-week suspension. Each team and driver received a 60-point loss and five playoff points.
In a prepared statement, Hendrick Motorsports said the penalties issued Thursday by NASCAR were under review and the organization’s next steps will be decided after Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The Texas Truck Race penalty report showed the trucks driven by Nicholas Sanchez, Chase Purdy and Jack Wood had multiple violations in opening day inspection. They involved the engine oil tank tank housing and tank tank, and assembled the vehicle in general. Each team lost 10 owner and driver points.
