NASCAR severely penalized AJ Allmendinger and JTG Daugherty Racing on Wednesday for improperly installed lug nuts following Sunday’s Monster Energy Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
AJ Allmendinger penalized 35 points, crew chief suspended 3 races for loose lug nuts
NASCAR also issued penalties to Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott for violations found on their respective vehicles following the Xfinity and Truck Series races at Atlanta.
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Allmendinger and JTG were docked 35 driver and owner points, while crew chief Randall Burnett was suspended three races and issued a $65,000 fine. The points penalty drops Allmendinger from 11th to 35th in the standings after two of 26 regular season races have been completed.
After Allmendinger finished 26th on Sunday, officials determined his No. 47 car had three of 20 lug nuts not secured. Any car found with one unsecured nut results in only a $10,000 fine and no suspension or points deduction. For two unsecured nuts, a crew chief is suspended one race and fined $20,000. For three or more, a crew chief is suspended three races and fined $65,000.
NASCAR decreased penalties for lug nut-related infractions last fall, eliminating the automatic one-race suspension if a single lug nut was missing or not secured tightly. But due to the increased safety risks if a wheel were to become loose or detached, any infraction involving more than one lug nut is considered serious and triggers a suspension.
Burnett will miss races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 12), Phoenix International Raceway (March 19), and Auto Club Speedway (March 26).
Other penalties issued Wednesday:
Kyle Busch is allowed to keep his Xfinity Series win in Saturday’s race at Atlanta despite his car failing to meet post-race front body inspection heights. However, the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team cannot use the victory toward qualifying for the Xfinity playoffs nor keep the bonus points earned. Additionally, the team was penalized 10 owner points, with crew chief Scott Graves fined $10,000 and suspended one race.
The No. 23 GMS Racing team was handed two penalties for infractions found following Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta. The truck, driven by Chase Elliott to a fifth-place finish, failed to meet ground clearance inspection measurements and had improperly installed lug nuts. Crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz was fined $7,500 total ($5,000 for the ground clearance violation and $2,500 for the lug nuts) and suspended one race. The team also lost 10 owner points.
The respective finishes for Allmendinger, Busch, and Elliott were each declared encumbered.
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