Penalties Announced by NASCAR; Suspensions, Fines, Points Taken Away: NASCAR has announced that Robby Reiser and Kenny Francis have each been suspended for 4 races and fined $50,000. In addition, the teams of #17-Matt Kenseth and #9-Kasey Kahne have been penalized 50 owner and driver points. Also, the team directors for Evernham drivers #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Scott Riggs (Rodney Childers and Joshn Browne, respectively) have each been suspended for 2 races and fined $25,000 for violations found prior to qualifying on Sunday. Those team have each lost 25 owners and drivers point. No announcement has been made on #55-Michael Waltrip.(2-13-2007)
NASCAR is getting even stricter now with these penalties.... here's what the penalties were for Chad Knaus last year:
Chad Knaus, crew chief for the #48 Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson, has been fined $25,000 and suspended from all NASCAR events until March 22, 2006 [thru Atlanta race]. Knaus has also been placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2006. The penalties come because of an unapproved template modification to the rear window area, violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 20-3.12.1 (A) (unapproved template modification.) of the 2006 NASCAR Rule book. The violation was discovered during Feb. 12 post-qualifying inspection for the Daytona 500. On Feb. 13, NASCAR ejected Knaus from further participation in Daytona 500 activities as a result of the violation.[No Point Penalties] From Larry McReynolds last year: NASCAR's penalty pattern
Points penalty: In simple terms, here's the pattern. If you maliciously put something on a car that's made or machined, and it's an unapproved piece that can be confiscated, the team will be fined, the crew chief will be suspended and the driver and owner will lose 25 points.
No points penalty: If you take something that's already on the car and use it to beat the spirit of the rule, then it warrants a suspension and a fine, but it does not warrant the loss of 25 driver and owner points.
What happened this year: 9-Kasey Kahne and #17-Matt Kenseth qualifying times/speeds been disallowed, both will start at the end of the 2nd Gatorade Duel race. The #17 and #9 cars were found to have illegal aerodynamic devices/enhancements. NASCAR's Jim Hunter said both infraction is considered as serious as the one that caused #48-Johnson's crew chief to be suspended after Daytona 500 qualifying last year.
And now Soctt Riggs and Elliott Sadler fined too.... damn.
Kenseth and Kahne both starting the season by being docked 50 points and losing their crewchiefs for 4 races. Nothing like starting the season already in a hole.....
