Childress, Obaika operations docked for Dover infractions
RELATED: NASCAR issues penalties following Dover races
NASCAR announced penalties Wednesday for two XFINITY Series teams for infractions -- one pre-race and one post-race -- during last weekend's event at Dover International Speedway.
The Richard Childress Racing No. 33 Chevrolet team of driver Austin Dillon was issued a P2-level penalty after the car failed post-race inspection after Saturday's Buckle Up 200 presented by Click It or Ticket. Officials determined the No. 33 car, driven to a fourth-place finish by Dillon in the 200-miler, to be too low on both sides in the rear.
As a result, NASCAR fined crew chief Nick Harrison $7,500 and placed him on probation through Dec. 31. Car owner Richard Childress was docked 10 series championship owner points.
NASCAR rescinded rules governing ride heights in the Sprint Cup Series ahead of the 2014 season, but those regulations remain in place in the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. The most recent ride-height punishment in a NASCAR national series was a P2-grade penalty for the JR Motorsports No. 00 team in the truck series after its win last month at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
NASCAR also penalized the Obaika Racing No. 97 Chevrolet team for a dropped weight during opening XFINITY Series practice at Dover. The loose piece of tungsten off the car driven by Peyton Sellers punctured the radiator of the No. 13 Dodge driven by Carl Long, causing a crash and forcing the veteran to a backup car for the race.
NASCAR reacted by handing the No. 97 team a P3-level penalty. Crew chief John Monsam has been fined $15,000, suspended for the next championship points race (Great Clips 250 Benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America, June 13, 1:30 p.m. at Michigan International Speedway) and placed on NASCAR probabtion through Dec. 31. Car chief David Jones was also suspended for the next championship points race and placed on probation through Dec. 31. Sellers loses 15 points in the drivers points standings, and owner Victor Obaika also was docked 15 points in the owner standings.
The incident marked the second time in the past three weeks where an uncontrolled weight has dropped from a vehicle in the XFINITY Series. The JD Motorsports No. 4 team was hit with a P3 penalty May 19 after an errant weight from its car severely damaged owner/driver Jamie Dick's car the previous weekend at Iowa Speedway.