A look at all of the latest news surrounding the penalties handed down to Matt Kenseth's Joe Gibbs Racing team
Following his victory in the STP 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, the engine in Matt Kenseth’s car was found to have a connecting rod lighter than the minimum weight specified in the rule book, and the result was an avalanche of NASCAR penalties -- including 50 points docked from the driver, a six-week suspension and $200,000 fine levied against the crew chief, and the owner’s license frozen for six weeks.
As this story continues to unfold and appeal hearings are heard, be sure to check back for the latest coverage from NASCAR.com.
Appeal date set
Joe Gibbs Racing will present its case to a three-member panel at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, N.C., on May 8. Gibbs has said his organization will argue that the penalties levied for a failed post-race inspection were too harsh. | Read the full story
No statement here
The end result was a seventh-place finish, probably less than Matt Kenseth had hoped for after leading a race-high 140 laps in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway, but still a nice rebound for a team that came to the Virginia capital at an emotional low. | Read the full story
Engine caution
Given the penalties to Matt Kenseth’s team earlier in the week, Clint Bowyer’s team has erred on the side of caution. The No. 15 crew swapped out engines before Richmond because one connecting rod was too close to the legal minimum. | Read the full story
A well-earned pole
It’s been a difficult week for Matt Kenseth, but the driver drove through the adversity to claim the pole for the second consecutive week. His pace at Richmond International Raceway set a new track record. | Read the full story
Gibbs gives take
Joe Gibbs agrees his No. 20 team should be penalized for having a light rod in Matt Kenseth’s car. Where the JGR owners disagrees, though, is with the penalty’s severity. He spoke Friday at Richmond. | Read the full story
No. 20 team keeps eye on Chase
After being hit hard with a penalty for an underweight engine part at Kansas Speedway, Matt Kenseth and team are insisting their win was fair -- especially crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who spoke to the media Friday afternoon. The team will look to prove that this weekend at Richmond. | Read the full story
Pemberton chimes in on penalties
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, spoke out Friday to outline the sanctioning body's approach to Matt Kenseth's penalty, one of the most severe in the sport's history, illustrating what care was taken with the case of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' most recent winning car and what areas of the rule book are strict no-nos. | Read the full story
Kenseth responds to penalty
Matt Kenseth sounded off on penalties handed down Wednesday by NASCAR, saying that his team's engine violations were an honest mistake and did not enhance the performance of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota that carried him to victory the previous weekend at Kansas Speedway. | Read the full story
Kenseth's crew chief's take
Jason Ratcliff said members of Joe Gibbs Racing expected NASCAR to come down hard on the team for an engine infraction discovered two days after Matt Kenseth’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in Kansas, but admitted that “some of those penalties were quite surprising, were quite shocking.” | Read the full story
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