NASCAR issued penalties Thursday to Joey Logano’s team for infractions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond last weekend, which Logano won. A rear suspension violation on the No. 22 car was discovered during teardown at the NASCAR R&D Center in Charlotte, NC, this week. As a result, the win is considered encumbered which means it cannot be used by the 22 team to secure an automatic spot in the post-regular-season playoffs (last 10 races). The penalty also rescinds the five bonus playoff points that would be applied for the win. Crew chief Todd Gordon was fined $50,000 and a two-race suspension for the infraction and the team lost 22 driver points and 25 owner points. While Logano keeps the win in the record books, the point loss drops him from fourth to sixth in the standings. Team Penske, owner of the 22 car, responded to the penalty with the following statement… “We understand and accept the penalty that was communicated to us today by NASCAR following last weekend’s victory by the #22 car at Richmond. We are disappointed by the notice, however, we do not plan to appeal the penalty. The #22 team remains focused on competing for wins as we work towards the NASCAR Playoffs and a Championship. Race Engineer Miles Stanley will serve as Joey Logano’s crew chief this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, while Greg Erwin will help call race strategy on Sunday.”
