RELATED: No. 20 crew chief Jason Ratcliff still unsure on penalty
Pit crew members were still talking about the penalty assessed to Matt Kenseth‘s No. 20 team during Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
During a pit stop on Lap 170, Kenseth’s gasman was cited for setting a wrench on the car’s deck lid while his fuel can was engaged with the car.
Later, Kenseth was black-flagged for not performing his pit road pass-through penalty in time, and the team, which had led 47 laps, was knocked three laps down and out of contention for the win.
The rule book states: “The Fueler must be in control of the fuel can at all times when fuel is being added to the vehicle. The Fueler will not be permitted to perform any adjustments or other pit stop procedures while the fuel can coupler is engaged with the vehicle-mounted adapter.”
Now that we understand the rule, let’s dig into the penalty. Where confusion might have come into play is that those on pit road understood the rule to mean that a gasman cannot set the wrench in the adjuster hole while engaged in the coupler.
The No. 20 did not do that, they set the wrench on the deck lid so the rear carrier could grab it while coming around the car and insert it into the left side adjuster. Where it seems NASCAR busted the No. 20 was on the part of the rule that states “any adjustment or other pit stop procedures while the fuel can coupler is engaged.”
Teams have been doing stops like the No. 20 did since the rule was implemented. Some teams would have their gasman pull the can out before setting the wrenches in place and then go back to fueling. Others would have their gasman hand off the wrench to the carrier when he comes around the back. Many teams, just like the No. 20, would set the wrench on the deck lid and continue fueling. So there are many ways to do this stop and by rule most of them are illegal.
However, rest assured, every pit coach and pit crew member now knows the correct interpretation of this rule and will be making sure the way they do left side adjustment stops are compliant with what NASCAR has said.
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