Photo Credit: Noel Lanier
On September 14 NASCAR announced there would be some rule updates instated during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs. Competition officials now have power to issue tougher rulings on technical infractions regarding post-race laser inspections and lug nuts.
These updates come just days before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series takes to the track at Chicagoland Speedway for Sunday’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400, which jump-starts the 10-race Chase for the Cup. Similar rule updates where applicable will also be introduced during the inaugural Chase for both the NASCAR XFINITY Series as well as Camping World Trucks Series which will start in two weeks at Kentucky Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The updates will allow NASCAR officials to strip race-winning teams of benefits associated with a Chase victory, including automatic advancement into the next elimination round as well as any tiebreaker implications, should any teams in the chase fail post-race lug-nut check or post-race Laser Inspection Station (LIS) platform.
Normally, lug-nut infractions would result in a one-race suspension and fining the crew chief where LIS failures would result in point deductions in both drivers and owner championship points as well as a crew chief fine.
However, during the Chase, post-race failure of the LIS platform will now be deemed a P4 level penalty if a vehicle’s rear two measurements exceed allowed measurements on both sides. In the Sprint Cup Series, a first violation will result in an low finishing position, loss of 35 driver and owner championship points as well as a three-race suspension along with a $65,000 fine for crew chiefs. During the Chase in NASCAR XFINITY Series, the penalties will be the same but crew chiefs will be fined $20,000 instead of $5,000. The LIS platform isn’t used during NCWTS inspection process.
Penalties will be the same as an LIS infraction if a vehicle is found to have 17 or less lug nuts in place following completion of the race in Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck.
“The changes are made to assure that we have a level playing field and make sure that there’s not a carrot out there for the team to have excessive violations when it comes to lug nuts and the LIS post-race measurements,” Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, told NASCAR.com. “As we worked with those penalties during the season we realized we probably needed to have a little bit more in place as Chase time rolled around. “The Chase obviously changes a lot of scenarios for both NASCAR and the teams; it’s ramped up the intensity and there is a lot of scrutiny, as there is every week on everything (involving) technical infractions. This is really just a matter of us putting something in place so that should something happen, we have a means to effectively deal with it.”
Miller also noted these adjustments are already apart of the NASCAR rule book and the update just adds a little bit of a definition to how they will use it moving forward.
If an infraction of post-race LIS and lug-nut inspection happen at Homestead the last race during the chase for any of the three series, the finish of the team in violation would not count towards the championship or for any other positions determined via a tiebreaker.
NASCAR officials have cracked down on lug nut penalties introducing new rules this past spring, including making sure the wheel is secure and fastened with all five studs at a pit-road checkpoint after the race. Five teams have been found since then with violations found during post-race inspection, including drivers Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing along with Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing); both drivers are competing in the chase.
Since 2013 NASCAR has used the LIS platform to measure car chassis with precision and a majority of failures this year were centered on rear toe alignment. Six Sprint Cup drivers and teams were penalized for failing the LIS portion of post-race inspection process. Kasey Kahne No.5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after the race at Dover International Speedway; Matt Kenseth No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota after the race at New Hampshire, Brad Keselowski No.2 Team Penske Ford after racing at Michigan International Speedway, Kyle Larson No. 42 Chip Ganassi Chevrolet and Ryan Newman No.31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet both after the race at Darlington Raceway and Martin Truex Jr. No.78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota after the race at Richmond International Raceway.
Miller stated he expects the rules to remain in place for the 2017 Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Pre-race inspection LIS failures will result in written warnings that could potentially lead to lost track time if a team is under its fourth violation.
“It should be no surprise to anybody where we landed,” Miller added. “As we convened with some of the team principals and competition guys, it became pretty obvious that we needed to do something like this.”
