Groups will face increased penalties - including the possibility of losing a win - if a car would excessively fail post-race inspection following any of the upcoming Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff races, NASCAR announced Wednesday.
Any driver whose car fails the Laser Inspection Station by a lot - or don't have enough lug-nuts secure at the end of the race - will be classified an "encumbered race finish."
If an "encumbered finish" happens, a driver who won a race would still keep their triumph and be recognized as the official race winner. However, that victory couldn't be used to secure automatic advancement to the next Chase round or even win the title.
An "encumbered finish" is pronounced when the level of infraction is deemed "egregious," NASCAR senior VP of competition Scott Miller said during a media teleconference Wednesday. That includes a winning car not passing laser review by an unspecified "significant" amount, or a car having more than three of its 20 lug nuts not securely fastened.
While the new penalties will become effective starting with Sunday's Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway, Miller expected the punishments will remain in place for the start of the 2017 season.
Previously, a driver would lose 15 points, have their crew chief serve a one-race suspension and pay a $20,000 if a single lug-nut was improperly secured. But at the request of competitors, NASCAR revised the policy so that a single missing lug nut would not adversely impact the championship. Drivers who don't win but finish elsewhere in the finishing order are likewise subject to the increased penalties.
Now, it takes more than two missing lug nuts to warrant a 15-point deduction. And if it's over three lug-nuts missing, the penalties are significant beyond just losing the benefits of a win; a team would also be docked 35 driver and owner points, fined $65,000 and the crew chief suspended three races.
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