NASCAR penalty report from the Charlotte Roval
On Sunday the NASCAR Cup Series unloaded in Charlotte, North Carolina. The race on the Charlotte Roval was a playoff elimination race, cutting the playoff drivers from 12 down to just 8.
View the NASCAR penalty report from the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course below.
In the closing laps, Chase Briscoe was in a battle as he sat just a few points below the cutline. With new tires, he was driving through the field in a hurry and in a race to save his playoff big.
Several late race restarts and overtime helped his case. On the final lap, Briscoe had gained enough points to lock himself into the round of 8.
However, just to be sure, it appears that Cole Custer, teammate to Cole Custer slowed, blocking Austin Dillon as Briscoe drove by both of them into the backstratch chicane.
Directly after the race, NASCAR hinted that penalties could follow. And, now that penalty have been announced with $200,000 in fines sent to Stewart-Haas Racing.
Stewart-Haas Racing has indicated they intend to appeal the penalty.
NASCAR to review incident with Cole Custer after Roval
NASCAR comments on the penalty to Stewart-Haas Racing
“When we got to the audio, and had the crew chief telling the driver that, ‘I think you got a flat (tire). Check up, check up, check up,’ when he couldn’t even see the car or have any idea whatsoever that the car might have a flat, obviously pretty telling as to what went on there,” NASCAR’s Scott Miller said.
“That coupled with the data and the video and all the rest of the things that we looked into, well, that was the bulk of the things … nothing contradicted the fact that was done deliberately by those individuals, so we were certainly forced to react, and you saw their reaction today.”
“We can’t have teams manipulating the finishing order. Certainly on super high alert for the playoffs, and had this been the determining factor in the 14 making it into the Round of 8 or not, our reaction certainly would have been bigger.”
The penalty could have been larger
Despite the $200,000 in fines, it was still not a “super-flagrant” offense which would have brought a larger penalty.
“We did consider that,” Miller said, “and we opted not to, just kind of because of the past precedent that we’ve set for sitting drivers down and didn’t feel like this completely fit into the bucket.”
NASCAR also said they reviewed Briscoe’s team radio. It appears that driver was unaware that Custer would slow down.
“The only chatter they had on the radio was about kind of where they were points-wise with the current running order,” Miller said, “but nothing that we could even remotely point to as being any kind of scandalous conversation on the radio.”
NASCAR Penalties
Charlotte Roval
NASCAR Cup Series
Driver: No. 41 Cole Custer
Violation Date: October 9, 2022
Sections: (4.3.A, 4.4.C, 5.5) NASCAR Member Code of Conduct/Performance Obligation
Penalty Type: Behavioral
Penalty: Driver Cole Custer has been fined $100,000. The team has been assessed with the loss of 50 driver points and 50 owner points. Crew chief (Michael Shiplett) have been fined $100,000 and indefinitely suspended by NASCAR
Charlotte Video Highlights: October 9, 2022 (NASCAR Cup Series)
NASCAR Penalties
Charlotte Roval
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Driver: No. 10 Landon Cassill
Violation Date: October 8, 2022
Infraction: Sections 10.9.10.4 – Tires and Wheels – Note: Lug nut(s) not properly installed.
Violation Type: Safety
Penalty: Crew chief ( Alexander Yontz ) has been fined $5,000.
Other Penalties
Member: Eric Woods
Violation issued: October 11, 2022
Violation Type: Behavioral
Infraction: Sections 4.1, 10.1.A
Penalty: Indefinite suspension from NASCAR
Coel Custer: Team Audio
Links
Cole Custer | Chase Briscoe | Charlotte Motor Speedway | NASCAR
