The penalty to Ryan Blaney has been removed after an issue with the inspection process was discovered
Over the weekend, NASCAR raced at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile track hosted the opening race in the Round of 8 for the Playoffs.
See the updated point standings below.
NASCAR inspects the top few finishers after the checkered flag. For the playoffs, they also inspect all playoff contenders.
After the race, NASCAR stated that the No. 12 team failed post-race tech. Blaney was disqualified and docked to a last place finish.
Additionally, all stage points earned throughout the race were removed. No fines were issued to the team.
Ryan Blaney disqualified after Las Vegas Motor Speedway
The penalty report noted Section 14.11.3.5. The left-front damper on the No. 12 car did not meet the overall specified length.
Blaney is a playoff driver. The penalty placed him last in the standings.
On Monday, NASCAR announced that the penalty has been removed. The NASCAR R&D Center noted there was an issue with the template used in the inspection.
All points that were taken away from the disqualification have since been restored.
NASCAR comments after the penalty is removed
“After a further review of the inspection process at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, competition officials discovered an issue with the damper template used for inspections in the Las Vegas garage,” NASCAR issued in a release.
“A statement from the sanctioning body said that “NASCAR then conducted a detailed investigation and has restored the No. 12’s stage and race finishing positions from Sunday. NASCAR has taken internal steps to remedy this issue moving forward.”
Las Vegas Results: October 15, 2023 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Team Penske Statement
Team Penske posted the following update on Monday:
“We are pleased with the decision by NASCAR to rescind the post-race disqualification to the No. 12 car following Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” the team opened.
“NASCAR has shown a tremendous amount of integrity throughout the process which has led to this conclusion. We are proud of the effort and the results by the No. 12 team during the 2023 season. We look forward to continuing the pursuit of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.”
NASCAR Cup Series point standings
(Updated with the penalty rescinded)
Round of 8
(Race 1 of 3)
Pos | Driver | Wins / Points
1. Kyle Larson
1 Win
2. William Byron
+9
3. Martin Truex Jr
+2
4. Denny Hamlin
+2
— Championship Cutline —
5. Christopher Bell
-2
6. Tyler Reddick
-16
7. Ryan Blaney
-17
8. Chris Buescher
-23
Links
Ryan Blaney | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | NASCAR
