Bubba Wallace of 23XI was among NASCAR Cup Series entrants penalized for incidents in the November 3 … [+]
NASCAR officials lowered the hammer on three NASCAR Cup Series teams from Sunday’s Xfinity 500 including suspensions and heavy fines totaling $600,000. NASCAR announced the penalties Tuesday, November 5 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.
Another NASCAR Cup Series team received a safety violation.
Also, one NASCAR Xfinity Series team and one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team were also penalized for behavioral conduct.
Four NASCAR Cup Series teams have been penalized including the No. 1 entry for Ross Chastain of Trackhouse (Behavioral), the No. 3 entry for Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing (behavioral), the No. 23 Toyota entry for driver Bubba Wallace at 23XI Racing (behavioral) and the No. 8 Chevrolet from RCR driven by Kyle Busch (safety).
Ross Chastain (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The most serious penalties were assessed to Bubba Wallace’s 23XI team, Ross Chastain’s team at Trackhouse Racing, and Austin Dillon’s team at Richard Childress Racing.
For Wallace, it included $100,000 penalties to both team and driver for a total of $200,000. Also, team executive Dave Rogers, crew chief Robert Barker and spotter Freddie Kraft have all been suspended for the next NASCAR championship points event – Sunday, November 10 at Phoenix Raceway. The team was also docked 50 points.
The penalties for Chastain’s No. 1 included $100,000 fines for both the team and Chastain for another total of $200,000. Also, executive Tony Lunders, crew chief Philip Surgen and spotter Brandon McReynolds, all suspended from the next championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 10. That team also incurred a loss of 50 points.
Austin Dillon. (Photo by Malcolm Hope/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Dillon’s No. 3 entry was penalized with team executive Keith Rodden, crew chief Justin Alexander, spotter Brandon Benesch all suspended for the next NASCAR points paying race (Phoenix). The team was fined $100,000 for the driver and the team ($200,000 total) and assessed with the loss of 50 points.
At the end of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville, the aforementioned teams were accused of manipulating the outcome of the race as other teams running for the same manufacturer were attempting to make Sunday’s NASCAR Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.
All three of the above penalties were for NASCAR Member Conduct.
Another penalty was issued to the No. 8 entry for Kyle Busch at Richard Childress Racing for “loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle during the event. Crew member Josh Sobecki and Michael Russell have been suspended for the next two NASCAR Cup Series Championship points events through and including The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2, 2025.
That was a “Safety Level” violation.
All penalties can be appealed with a deadline of 12 noon Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 6.
Elton Sawyer. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“We want to make sure that these penalties are delivered in a way – and they will be – that we’re not going to tolerate this,” said Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition.
“In this case, we felt like we wanted to focus more on the team leadership, something that we haven’t done in the past.
“I promise you that does not exclude going forward and we have meetings coming up this week with our drivers and we will get that point across to them and be very clear that when you do anything that is going to compromise the integrity of our sport we’re going to react.”
NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Chandler Smith was fined $10,000 for member conduct. The driver of the No. 81 team threatened fellow driver Cole Custer and attempted to punch him following last Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway.
Finally, driver Ty Majeski of the No. 98 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team was fined $12,500 for NASCAR Member Conduct – failure to complete media obligations.
