Tony Stewart took an emphatic stand three weeks ago that someone -- be it a spectator or driver -- would incur serious harm unless NASCAR immediately act. So vehemently did he deliver his message on April 20, the sanctioning body fined Stewart $35,000 the following day for questioning its commitment to safety.
In issuing penalties to Kyle Busch’s team, NASCAR shows seriousness of new lug nut policy
Drivers asked NASCAR to have a tougher stand on teams not fastening lug nuts and they got exactly that when two members of Kyle Busch’s crew were suspended on Wednesday.
What Stewart implored NASCAR to do was modify its rule permitting teams to skip tightening the maximum five lug nuts. But while disagreeing with Stewart’s tone, NASCAR did listen and five days later issued a rules bulletin requiring every lug nut to be secured properly each and every time a car left pit road, lest a team face severe consequences.
On Wednesday, Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team became the first to be penalized under the new rule. Crew chief Adam Stevens was suspended one race and fined $20,000, while front tire changer Josh Leslie will also sit one race after Busch’s car was found in violation last weekend at Kansas Speedway, a race he won.
NASCAR sitting the crew chief who guided Busch to the 2015 Sprint Cup championship certainly sends a message that this is an infraction to be taken seriously. While the natural inclination of crew chiefs is to work in the gray area of the NASCAR rulebook in an attempt to find an advantage, the sanctioning body demonstrated that it will respond and act accordingly.
And in this instance Stevens appeared to try and exploit a loophole, as the rule NASCAR cited Stevens violated pertained to “parts that are designed to fail their intended use.” Meaning, the lug nut was likely placed on the wheel in a way to look as if it was on securely though it really wasn’t.
What’s unknown is whether other crew chiefs will heed this warning and -- instead of trying to save a fraction of a second on pit road and the possibility of gaining another spot -- take measures to ensure all five lug nuts are not only on but fastened correctly.
There are many instances where the benefit simply isn’t worth the gamble. However, in some cases a driver losing their crew chief may be a worthwhile exchange. Because while Busch’s was essentially illegal, NASCAR did permit Busch to keep the win and is allowing him to use the three bonus points awarded in the first round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
And for Busch, losing Stevens is a wash. With three victories already this season, he’s a virtual lock to make NASCAR’s playoffs and JGR has the resources to overcome Stevens’ one-week absence.
Other drivers, without a win and with a team lacking in depth, may find themselves reluctant to run afoul of NASCAR’s policies. And if crew chiefs continue to try and exploit the lug nut rule, which many in the garage expect to happen, NASCAR will presumably stiffen its penalties in the form of longer suspensions and elimination of bonus points.
Such as most things in NASCAR, it’s a tradeoff of risk vs. reward.
If there is a lesson in Wednesday’s penalty announcement, it’s that drivers should be careful what they ask for. They wanted NASCAR to intervene and enact a stringent lug nut rule, which the sanctioning body acquiesced.
Now come the ramifications.
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