The sanctioning body has made a decision regarding appeals by the No. 31 team of Kaulig Racing and the No. 38 team of Front Row Motorsports. NASCAR has upheld penalties levied against both teams after they lost wheels in points-paying events and violated Section 10.5.2.6 (Safety Penalties and Penalty Options) of the NASCAR Rule Book.
NASCAR announced on March 16 that two separate appeals panels had upheld the penalties, confirming that each team would lose its crew chief and two crew members. The No. 31 team, which lost a wheel during the Daytona 500, will move forward for the next four events without crew chief Trent Owens and crew members Jacob Nelson (tire changer) and Marshall McFadden (jackman).
The No. 38 team, which lost a wheel at Auto Club Speedway, will have to compete during the next four events without crew chief Seth Barbour and crew members Jourdan Osinskie and Tanner Andrews.
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Both Teams Had Another Opportunity To Appeal the Decision
GettyTodd Gilliland races during the Ruoff Mortgage 500.
While the two separate appeals panels upheld the original penalties from the sanctioning body, there was another option available for both teams. They still had the opportunity to appeal the decision to the Final Appeals Officer.
Neither Kaulig Racing nor Front Row Motorsports made the decision to make one final appeal. Kaulig Racing President Chris Rice appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and said that the organization respects the decision of the appeals panel and that it takes safety very seriously. Similarly, the organization behind the No. 38 team issued a statement confirming that it accepts the decision from the appeals panel.
“Front Row Motorsports respects and accepts the decision by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel regarding the penalty to our No. 38 Ford Mustang at the Auto Club Speedway,” the Cup Series team said in a statement on March 16.
“The team will move forward this weekend with Troy Raker, team engineer, serving as crew chief for the next four events. The team will also make the required changes to its pit crew members.”
2 Other Teams Faced Penalties After Losing Wheels
GettyCorey LaJoie’s team received a penalty after the race at Phoenix.
The No. 31 and No. 38 teams were not the only ones that received significant penalties after losing wheels. Two others also had the same consequences. Though they have not made public statements about whether they will appeal.
TMT Racing, the team co-owned by Floyd Mayweather Jr., lost a wheel during the Daytona 500. The sanctioning body issued a penalty and suspended crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and crew members Chris Zima (jackman) and Aaron Powell (rear changer) from the No. 50 team. TMT Racing is only attempting a limited number of events during the 2022 Cup Series season, including the race at Circuit of the Americas on March 27.
Spire Motorsports also received a penalty after the Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet lost a wheel during the first stage and brought out the caution flag. NASCAR announced after the race that the team had violated Section 10.5.2.6 (Safety Penalties and Penalty Options) in the NASCAR Rule Book and that it would lose crew chief Ryan Sparks and crew members Blaine Anderson and Allen Holman for the next four events.
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NASCAR Makes Decision on Suspension Appeals for 2 Teams