RELATED: No. 18 team fined; two suspended
The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team was given a P3 penalty Wednesday regarding lug nuts and improper procedures during the last pit stop at Kansas. Included in those penalties were the suspension of crew chief Adam Stevens and front tire changer Josh Leslie.
The big question on pit road is who will replace Leslie at Dover, and how that will affect the No. 18 pit crew.
JGR confirmed to NASCAR.com and PitTalks that Brian Eastland will replace Leslie. Eastland was the front changer on the No. 78 of Martin Truex Jr. early in the year before being replaced by Chris Taylor. Eastland still is at JGR as a backup and should fill in nicely.
The No. 18 crew was tops on pit road at Kansas and will still be very good at Dover. Yes, they will potentially have some chemistry and timing issues, but they still are a talented crew and Brian Eastland is a very good tire changer.
For more pit-crew news, visit PitTalks.com.