AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 10: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway on March 10, 2019 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
ISM Raceway Penalty Report: March 2019
Shane Walters
NASCAR penalty report from Phoenix; NASCAR executive details the penalty to Chase Elliott
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series were in action at ISM Raceway over the weekend. Kyle Busch swept the weekend winning both races in Phoenix, Arizona.
View the full 2019 Phoenix penalty report from the March NASCAR weekend below.
There were three penalties throughout the weekend. One for the race winner of Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series. Two additional penalties in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
ISM Raceway Penalties NASCAR Cup Series March 10, 2019
Driver: Kyle Busch (#18)
Level: Safety
Infraction: Sections 10.9.10.4: Tires and Wheels – Note: Lug nut(s) not properly installed.
Penalty: Crew chief (Adam Stevens) has been fined $10,000.
ISM Raceway Penalties NASCAR Cup Series March 9, 2019
Drivers: Ryan Truex (#8) | Mike Harmon (#74)
Level: Safety
Infraction: Sections 10.9.10.4: Tires and Wheels – Note: Lug nut(s) not properly installed.
Penalty: Crew chief (Taylor Moyer #8 and Timothy Goulet #74) have been fined $5,000.
The latest penalty report adds the fifth violation for lug nut penalties in the NASCAR Cup Series after the first four races of the season. There’s now two more in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Truck Series. That brings the total to eight lug nut penalties across the top three series in 2019 thus far.
Chase Elliott penalized at the start of the race
Chase Elliott qualified outside of Ryan Blaney. The two led the field to the green flag on Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series race at ISM Raceway on March 10, 2019.
Chase Elliott was able to take the lead early but it was short lived. A call came down from the tower on the race leader. On lap 1, Elliott jumped the start of the race and beat the pole sitter to the start finish line.
The #9 driver served a pass through penalty and caught the tail of the field on the exit. He was able to remain on the lead lap and battle from the tail to salvage a decent finish.
Elliott led early in the race and those have since been removed from the record books. The pole sitter, Ryan Blaney was credited for leading those laps.
On Monday, Steve O’Donnell discussed the call from the tower on ‘The Morning Drive’ via Sirius XM NASCAR Radio:
“Unfortunately, it’s a black and white call in terms of letting the leader, who earned the pole, be the first car to cross the start/finish line,” Steve O’Donnell explained via Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Avid #9 fans expressed a bit of anger on the call that was made. The driver himself spoke with O’Donnell on Sunday night. He stated, ‘You know, Ryan spun the tires.’
“We have tried to get out of making those calls,” O’Donnell continued. “We were in those calls before. Who spun the tires? When did they spin the tires?”
“We elected to just make it a black and white rule. It’s never a call you want to make. In this case, by the look on the track and on the timing loop, it’s one we had to make.”