RELATED: Full race results
The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team of Matt Kenseth was penalized when it failed to pit under green by the end of Segment 1 in Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
According to the event’s rules, every team was required to perform at least a two-tire pit stop under green-flag conditions within the first 50 laps.
However, Kenseth’s team stayed out throughout the segment with the intent to pit under green at the last possible moment. That gamble did not pay off when a Lap 46 caution flag came out after Jamie McMurray‘s No. 1 Chevrolet spun in Turn 2.
“We were coming that time, which would have been coming to Lap 47 and then try to get two tires and keep your track position,” Kenseth said. “That was his (crew chief Jason Ratcliff’s) plan and we just caught the caution on the wrong lap.”
With the caution flag out, Kenseth was unable to pit under green prior to Lap 50.
Kenseth was held on pit road and scored one lap down at the start of Segment 2. The sequence led to a pointed discussion between Kenseth and crew chief Jason Ratcliff over the scanner.
On Lap 73, Kenseth was involved in a multi-car wreck that saw his night come to an early end with an 18th-place finish.
RELATED: Stewart, Kenseth involved in wreck