The three-man NASCAR appeal panel has significantly reduced penalties
imposed on Joe Gibbs Racing for an engine-related rules violation when
Toyota driver Matt Kenseth won April 21 at Kansas Speedway. The panel overturned altogether or dramatically reduced most of the
penalties against Kenseth and members of the No. 20 team. Kenseth's
50-point penalty was trimmed to 12 points and crew chief Jason
Ratcliff's suspension was reduced from six Sprint Cup races to just one.
The only major penalty that was upheld was Ratcliff's $200,000 fine. But
the Nascar panel ruled that Kenseth's win will now count as an official win
and award points toward the Chase for the Championship bonus points. Kenseth's team was originally penalized for having a connecting rod
lighter than the minimum weight. Specifically, it was 523.3 grams, a
mere 2.7 grams below the 525-gram minimum. Toyota Racing Development
manufactured the engine and has accepted responsibility. Nascar held the team accountable for the rules violation.
No comments:
Post a Comment