Yahoo Autos Hendrick Motorsports' Equipment Penalties Amended Following Appeal
Some of the L2-level penalties handed down to Hendrick Motorsports over unapproved parts modifications earlier this month have been amended after the team brought the issue to The National Motorsports Appeals Panel.
The panel ruled Wednesday that it will uphold the $100,000 fine issued to Hendrick Motorsports’ Chevrolet Cup Series cars the No. 5 piloted by Kyle Larson, the No. 48 with Alex Bowman, the No. 24 with William Byron and the No. 9 with Chase Elliott’s replacement Jordan Berry. It will also have to keep its crew chiefs sidelined on suspension until Martinsville Speedway weekend. However, the 100 owners points and 10 playoff point penalties have been rescinded, according to NASCAR.com.
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Larson, Byron and Bowman will get the same points back that the initial penalty took away. Berry, however, is replacing Elliott while he recovers from a snowboarding injury. Since the replacement driver does not compete for Cup points, he was never penalized and therefore has no deducted points to restore.
What did NASCAR say about the Hendricks Motorsports penalty amendment?
NASCAR, which originally handed down the full penalty to the racing team, was pleased that the Appeals Panel upheld some of the punishments as a validation that the team was guilty of misconduct. However, it expressed its disappointment over the outcome’s potential precedent in a statement.
“We are pleased that the National Motorsports Appeals Panel agreed that Hendrick Motorsports violated the rule book,” the organization said. “However, we are disappointed that the entirety of the penalty was not upheld. A points penalty is a strong deterrent that is necessary to govern the garage following rule book violations, and we believe that it was an important part of the penalty in this case and moving forward. We will continue to inspect and officiate the NASCAR garage at the highest level of scrutiny to ensure a fair and level playing field for our fans and the entire garage.”
