Following the recent playoff race at Charlotte Roval, NASCAR’s penalty report has created quite a stir among several teams and their crew chiefs. Notable drivers, including Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman, have felt the impact of these penalties.
After the race, NASCAR announced suspensions for two crew members from Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 team. Joshua Thomas, the front tire changer, and Nick Covey, responsible for the jack, will miss two upcoming Cup Series races due to a tire-related violation.
This penalty originated from a tire that came off Austin Dillon’s car during the race’s 81st lap. With previous wins like the Daytona 500 in 2018, Dillon’s crew faces a significant challenge at this critical playoff stage. They will be without these key members at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
In the Xfinity Series, four crew chiefs received $5,000 fines due to unsecured lug nuts, affecting teams like JR Motorsports, where James Pohlman works with Justin Allgaier, and Phillip Bell with Sammy Smith.
Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Additionally, Andy Street from Richard Childress Racing (Austin Hill’s crew chief) and Jeff Meendering of Joe Gibbs Racing (Chandler Smith’s crew chief) also faced penalties.
The Charlotte Roval race, which set the stage for NASCAR’s Round of 8, saw Kyle Larson dominate, leading 62 of 109 laps and securing his sixth victory of the season. This win positions him at the top of the field with a solid 33-point lead over the cutline.
Speaking on his impressive performance, Larson expressed relief at experiencing a more relaxed playoff weekend, stating, “It’s the first time in my playoff career I’ve not been close to the cutline.” He credited his success partly to simulation practice, a tool he usually doesn’t rely heavily on.
“I was in the sim this week, which helped me find my rhythm and fine-tune our car,” he noted.
The race concluded with drama as Alex Bowman and his No. 48 team faced disqualification after his car was found underweight during post-race inspections. As a result, Bowman dropped below the playoff cutline, allowing Joey Logano to advance to the Round of 8.