Two pit crew members of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota have been suspended for the next two NASCAR Cup Series races, the sanctioning body announced Tuesday.
Tire changer Danny Olszowy and jackman Kellen Mills will be sidelined for the upcoming events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway as a penalty for violating Section 8.8.10.4.C in the NASCAR Rule Book, which addresses the loss or separation of an improperly installed wheel from the vehicle.
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The No. 19 Toyota, driven by Martin Truex Jr., saw its left-front wheel dislodge from the car on the backstretch under caution at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 26. Because the wheel came loose past pit exit, the two crewmen responsible for the infraction face respective two-week suspensions. The team was also assessed an in-race two-lap penalty.
This is the first penalty issued for a wheel violation in 2023. Before the season began, NASCAR’s competition team updated how detached wheels would be officiated. If a team loses a wheel between pit entry and pit exit, the team will be assessed a pass-through penalty under green-flag conditions, or it must restart at the tail end of the field if under caution.
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Truex’s wheel came loose on the racing surface, which led to his crewmen’s suspensions.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at Las Vegas on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.