A new season brings the return of penalties.
NASCAR announced, Wednesday, that it handed Chase Briscoe and his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team an L2 penalty for modifying the spoiler. In violation of rule 14.5.8.A: Spoiler (modification of a single source supplied part).
As a result, Briscoe and his team lost both 100 driver and owner points and 10 playoff points. Furthermore, the No. 19 team owes NASCAR $100,000. This penalty drops Briscoe from 10th to 39th in points at -67, and 89 behind 16th in points. Moreover, NASCAR suspended crew chief James Small for the next four points-paying Cup Series races. Barring an appeal, he’ll be out until the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
At press time, Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t announced if it will appeal the penalty.
Briscoe’s car, along with Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford, was taken by NASCAR to the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina.
In addition to Briscoe’s team, NASCAR issued safety-level penalties to Todd Gilliland’s No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford and Cody Ware’s No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet for improperly secured ballast. Which amounts to a 10-point penalty driver and owner points.