NASCAR officials issued a one-race suspension Monday to team owner Chip Ganassi for violating COVID-19 event protocols last weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
Ganassi violated Section 12.8.1.b of the NASCAR Rule Book, a subsection of the member conduct guidelines that includes compliance with COVID-19 event procedures. Officials said that Ganassi’s penalty was “for bringing into the competition area a non-essential individual that was restricted from the footprint.”
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Ganassi was also fined $30,000. Pending any potential appeal, he is barred from this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Chip Ganassi Racing is still permitted to field its two entries — the No. 1 Chevrolet for driver Kurt Busch and the No. 42 Chevy for Ross Chastain — in Sunday’s event.
Additionally, two Cup Series crew chiefs were fined $10,000 after their cars were found with one unsecured lug nut each in a post-race check Sunday evening at the Daytona Road Course. Those penalized were crew chief Adam Stevens of the race-winning No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Christopher Bell, and crew chief Jeremy Bullins for the fifth-place finishing Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford.