A pair of Stewart-Haas Racing Fords in the NASCAR Cup Series had parts confiscated for further evaluation during inspection Friday evening at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The No. 10 and 41 machines, driven by Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece, respectively, had roof rail deflectors seized at the track before Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Any potential penalties will be announced next week.
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Per the NASCAR Rule Book, roof air deflectors must consist of parts outlined in the below diagram. Additionally, they must meet the following criteria: be constructed of 0.05-inch thick aluminum; be installed perpendicular in the applicable slots; must not interfere with the functioning of the roof flaps; and must be painted.
While the roof rail deflectors do create drag, the most important function involves their aero properties and how they react specifically for cars spinning.
Roof deflectors also are a team part and not a single-source supplier part.
Additionally, the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Chevrolet of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. failed pre-qualifying inspection twice, resulting in loss of pit selection and ejection of their engineer.