The largest penalty in NASCAR history has been amended following an appeal by the team
Several weeks ago, NASCAR confiscated hood louvers from all four Hendrick Motorsports machines. The parts were taken directly following practice at Phoenix Raceway.
View the Hendrick Motorsports penalty appeal results below.
The hood louvers direct air out from under the hood. The air is guided over the top of the car. It’s a crucial aerodynamic part.
NASCAR confiscates parts from Hendrick Motorsports at Phoenix Raceway
The Next Gen car is designed to level the playing field. The chassis is identical from team to team. In addition, many of the parts installed come from a single supplier. The hood louvers are one of those parts.
Om March 12th, NASCAR issued a stiff L2 penalty to all four Hendrick Motorsports teams as well as the Kaulig Racing machine. Given HMS had four cars suffer the same penalty, it resulted in the single largest fine ever issued to a single team, $400,000.
NASCAR noted Section 14.5.4.2.A which is related to the hood louver assembly.
The fact these parts were taken after practice was a part of Hendrick Motorsports appeal. Similar penalties have been issued in the past for post-race violations. In this case, the parts were not discovered after a race.
Hendrick Motorsports also claimed the hood louvers were an issue in the weeks leading up to the penalty. They claimed that the parts would not fit, directly from the manufacture and needed to be modified.
NASCAR issues $550,000 in fines after Phoenix Raceway
Original Penalty
No. 5
-10 Playoff Points Removed
-100 Driver Points Removed
-100 Owner Points Removed
-$100,000 fine
-Crew chief suspended 4 races
No. 9
-100 Owner Points Removed
-$100,000 fine
-Crew chief suspended 4 races
Note: Chase Elliott was sidelined with a leg injury at the time of the violation. That’s why the No. 9 wasn’t docked playoff points or driver points.
No. 24
-10 Playoff Points Removed
-100 Driver Points Removed
-100 Owner Points Removed
-$100,000 fine
-Crew chief suspended 4 races
No. 48
-10 Playoff Points Removed
-100 Driver Points Removed
-100 Owner Points Removed
-$100,000 fine
-Crew chief suspended 4 races
Crew chiefs Cliff Daniels, Alan Gustafson, Rudy Fugle and Blake Harris have all been suspended since the penalty was announced. The team had the option to defer the suspensions until the appeal was heard but they elected not to do that.
Largest NASCAR fine in history: Hendrick Motorsports to appeal
Hendrick Motorsports case
Shortly after the penalty was announced, Hendrick Motorsports announced their intention to appeal. They noted the following reasons:
– “Louvers provided to team through NASCAR’s mandated single-source supplier do not match the design submitted by the manufacture and approved by NASCAR.”
– “Documented inconsistent and unclear communication by the sanctioning body specifically related to louvers.”
– “Recent comparable penalties issued by NASCAR have been related to issues discovered during a post-race inspection.”
Appeal Results
Today, the appeal by Hendrick Motorsports was heard. And they have partially won their appeal with a huge reduction in the penalty.
Upon hearing the testimony, the decisions of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel are:
– “That the Appellants violated the Rule(s) set forth in the Penalty Notice.”
– “That the Panel amends the original Penalty assessed by NASCAR to read:”
– “$100,000 fine and 4-race suspension for Cliff Daniels, Rudy Fugle, Alan Gustafson and Blake Harris.”
– “No loss of NASCAR Cup Series Championship Team Owner and Driver points or Team Owner and Driver Playoff points.”
No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels, the No. 9’s Alan Gustafson, the No. 24’s Rudy Fugle and the No. 48’s Blake Harris all remain suspended. The crew chiefs will be allowed to return to the pit boxes at Martinsville Speedway.
With the points restored, Alex Bowman returns to the point lead.
Appeals Panel:
-Kelly Housby
-Dixon Johnston
-Bill Lester
Modified Penalties
No. 5
-$100,000 fine
-Crew chief suspended 4 races
No. 9
-$100,000 fine
-Crew chief suspended 4 races
No. 24
-$100,000 fine
-Crew chief suspended 4 races
No. 48
-$100,000 fine
-Crew chief suspended 4 races
Hendrick Motorsports statement following appeal
“We are grateful to the National Motorsports Appeals Panel for their time and attention,” Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, opened in a statement.
He added, “Today’s outcome reflects the facts, and we’re pleased the panel did the right thing by overturning the points penalty. It validated our concerns regarding unclear communication and other issues we raised. We look forward to focusing on the rest of our season, beginning with this weekend’s race at Richmond (Raceway).”
NASCAR statement following the appeal
Shortly following the appeal results, NASCAR issued the following statement:
“We are pleased that the National Motorsports Appeals Panel agreed that Hendrick Motorsports violated the rule book,” the series statement opened on Wednesday.
“However, we are disappointed that the entirety of the penalty was not upheld. A points penalty is a strong deterrent that is necessary to govern the garage following rule book violations, and we believe that is was an important part of the penalty in this case and moving forward.”
The statement concluded, “We will continue to inspect and officiate the NASCAR garage at the highest level of scrutiny to ensure a fair and level playing field for our fans and the entire garage.”
Kaulig Racing also appealed their penalty for the same violation. Their appeal will be heard on Wednesday, April 5.
Phoenix Race Results: March 12, 2023 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Links
Kyle Larson | Josh Berry | William Byron | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Phoenix Raceway | NASCAR
