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Annual motorcycle tour to benefit children with chronic illnesses

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The route for the 21st Annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America benefitting Victory Junction — a camp for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses — was announced Thursday.

Schedule for Petty Charity Ride

Date From To
2-May Santa Cruz, Calif. Bakersfield, Calif.
3-May Bakersfield, Calif. Tonopah, Nev.
4-May Tonopah, Nev. Bryce Canyon, Utah
5-May Bryce Canyon, Utah Moab, Utah
6-May Moab, Utah Colorado Springs, Colo.
7-May Colorado Springs, Colo. Hutchinson, Kan.
8-May Hutchinson, Kan. Branson, Mo.

NBC Sports NASCAR analyst Kyle Petty will lead 200 motorcyclists 2,500 miles from Santa Cruz, Calif., to Branson, Mo., on the fund-raising tour. Former NFL running back Herschel Walker and NASCAR legends Donnie Allison and Harry Gant are expected to be among the celebrities who will join the festivities.

"Each year, we select a route that’s full of breathtaking scenery, while also allowing us to spread the word and build excitement around our mission along the way," Petty said in a press release. "Year after year, the ride creates lasting memories for our riders, most importantly, it provides life-changing opportunities for children at Victory Junction."

As a result of the ride, 7,815 children have attended Victory Junction at no cost to their families, and the camp has been the ride’s primary beneficiary since being established by Kyle Petty in 2004 in honor of his late son, Adam.

Spectators are welcome to attend one of the ride’s eight overnight stops to interact with the riders, purchase ride memorabilia or make a donation to Victory Junction.

To learn more about the ride, go to: www.facebook.com/KPCharityRide, or on Twitter and Instagram, @KPCharityRide.

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NASCAR grants deferral of suspensions and fines, not points

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RELATED: Newman loses 75 points | No. 31 team penalized | Comparing to other big penalties

Richard Childress Racing is appealing the penalties handed down against Ryan Newman and the No. 31 team for a rules infraction that occurred at Auto Club Speedway last month, NASCAR Vice President of Integrated Communications David Higdon confirmed on Thursday.

RCR requested a deferral of penalties until its appeal is heard by the sanctioning body. Higdon tweeted that NASCAR will defer the suspensions and fines but not points.

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Newman was penalized 75 points and his crew chief Luke Lambert was fined $125,000 among other penalties after NASCAR determined the team illegally altered air pressures in its tires during a March 22 event at Auto Club Speedway.
 
Following the Auto Club 400 and an audit of tires taken from four teams, NASCAR sent the tires an outside agency for further evaluation.

The 75-point loss dropped Newman from sixth to 26th in the points standings after six races. One of last year’s drivers in the Championship 4 round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Newman, 37, has four top-10 finishes this season.
 
Tire audits have been conducted after the last three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events as rumors of teams illegally altering air pressures swirled through the garage. By allowing air to escape from tires as they heat up, more of the tire’s surface remains in contact with the race track, providing more grip consistently throughout a run.
 
According to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rulebook, "Any device, modification, or procedure to the tire or wheel, including the valve stem hardware, that is used to release pressure, beyond normal pressure adjustments, from the tire and/or inner shield, will not be permitted."
 
Penalties for such infractions are classified as P5 level by NASCAR, and in this case resulted in the loss of 75 championship driver and car owner points for Newman and car owner Richard Childress; a $125,000 fine and six-race suspension for Lambert; and six-race suspensions for team tire technician James Bender and team engineer Philip Surgen.
 
Lambert, Bender and Surgen have also been placed on probation through Dec. 31.
 
Sprint Cup Series Managing Director Richard Buck said Monday that teams were reminded of the severity of penalties for tire infractions during a meeting with crew chiefs on Friday at Martinsville Speedway.
 
"We generally have crew chief meetings where we will address topics and issues with crew chiefs, get information to them," Buck said. "And that was the case at Martinsville. We had several things that we addressed there, but one of the things was the tires."
 
"We reiterated to the garage area that it is very serious; our process has not changed. … We take that very seriously."
 
NASCAR took tires from several teams at Phoenix and again at Martinsville in addition to those taken at ACS. Those from ACS were believed to be the only ones sent to an outside source for further evaluation.
 
"We’ve been very clear that any modifications to race vehicle tires is an unacceptable practice and will not be tolerated," Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said in regard to the penalties dealt to the No. 31 team.

NASCAR.com’s Kenny Bruce contributed to this report.

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NASCAR Hall of Famer will compete in Off-Road Truck race

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NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Rusty Wallace will end a 10-year hiatus from competition in June when he takes part in this year’s Off-Road Truck Racing event at the X Games in Austin, Texas.

"I may be retired from driving, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the itch to get back behind the wheel; I love to compete," Wallace said in a statement provided by Rusty Wallace, Inc.
 
"Plus, the X Games are just such a big deal. During my time (as a commentator) with ESPN, I watched the X Games a lot and really enjoyed them. Some of the world’s best athletes are there. So when the opportunity came to be a part of the event, there was no way I was going to say no."
 
The 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and winner of 55 Sprint Cup Series points races, Wallace retired from competition after the 2005 season. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2013, along with fellow drivers Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas and noted crew chief Leonard Wood.
 
The 2015 X Games will be held June 4-7 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The Off-Truck Racing event is scheduled for June 7.
 
"It’s different than stock cars, that’s for sure, but at the end of the day, racing is racing," said Wallace. "I grew up racing motocross as a kid and as I moved into cars, I always enjoyed racing on rough, slippery race tracks, places where you had to have a lot of car control. That description definitely applies to this style of racing."
 
Wallace, 58, said he had spoken with former NASCAR driver and Off-Road Truck racer Robby Gordon about the opportunity and what he could expect. The two met earlier this week to give Wallace an idea of what was in store.
 
"(Gordon) was totally confident that I would be competitive in these vehicles," he said, "and even offered to be my coach. …
 
"I felt really comfortable. It was a total blast to drive."
 
But fun is only part of the reason behind the decision, he said.
 
"I’m not going down to Austin just to have fun. I’m going down there to bring home a medal."
 
Wallace won his NASCAR championship while driving for former drag racing champion and NASCAR car owner Raymond Beadle. The bulk of his career, however, was spent with team owner Roger Penske, with whom he won 37 points races.
 
Wallace’s final Sprint Cup win came at Martinsville Speedway in 2004.
 
ABC and ESPN will carry live coverage of the 2015 X Games.

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Tracks the latest to make safety enhancements ahead of events

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Michigan International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway announced Thursday that they will augment their use of impact-absorbing barriers before the first of two NASCAR weekends for each track this season.

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Both tracks plan to expand their use of Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier over existing concrete retaining walls. Bristol opens its doors for NASCAR on-track activity April 16-19; Michigan’s opening NASCAR race weekend is scheduled for mid-June.
 
Jerry Caldwell, executive vice president and general manager for Bristol Motor Speedway, said that the track has secured an additional 600 feet of SAFER barrier, which will completely cover the outside retaining wall at the .533-mile track. Caldwell said in a statement provided by the track that the construction was based on recommendations from parent company Speedway Motorsports Inc., and NASCAR.
 
"The safety of our fans and competitors continues to be a focal point for Bristol Motor Speedway," Caldwell said.
 
Officials at MIS, which ranks among the fastest tracks that NASCAR visits, said that the 2-mile speedway will add SAFER barrier to the inside retaining walls at pit road’s entrance and exit. The track will also install tire-pack barriers along the angled wall inside the D-shaped oval’s first turn.
 
Michigan also plans to pave the infield near pit road exit in an effort to slow skidding cars in the event of a crash. The newly paved area will also house an entrance and exit for the pace car.
 
"The safety of our guests, competitors and staff is our number one priority," said track president Roger Curtis. "We will continue to review our facility and provide updates as circumstances warrant."
 
Track officials said work will be completed before Michigan hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series June 12-14. After the track’s second NASCAR weekend Aug. 14-16, the track plans to add SAFER barrier to the outside retaining walls on the frontstretch and backstretch, plus the wall separating pit road from the frontstretch infield grass, before the 2016 season.

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, who hit a wall without a SAFER barrier at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the second race of the season, tweeted his approval of the addition at Bristol.

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Penalty for Newman, RCR another in a list of advantage-seeking

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RELATED: RCR appealing penalties

The effort to go faster than anyone else has landed Ryan Newman in the doghouse, the Sprint Cup Series driver stripped of 75 points by NASCAR for issues related to his team’s tires earlier this month at Auto Club Speedway.
 
In NASCAR’s realm, tire tampering is among the most severe of offenses. Any broom pusher in any race shop knows that much. You don’t mess with engines. You don’t mess with fuel. And you don’t mess with tires.
 
That’s not to say folks don’t, of course. The sport is full of examples of teams caught dealing from the bottom of the deck.

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More than 30 years ago, NASCAR nipped seven-time champion Richard Petty for an over-sized engine, among other things, after a victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The $35,000 fine and 104-point penalty that followed were record amounts for the time.
 
In 2007, findings of an illegal fuel additive nearly sunk Michael Waltrip Racing before it made its debut in Daytona. The move cost Waltrip 100 points and crew chief David Hyder $100,000.
 
And in 2010, toying with the valve stems cost Travis Kvapil 150 points and crew chief Steve Lane $100,000 and a 12-race suspension after a race at Pocono.
 
Like I said, serious stuff.
 
Manipulating the air pressures resulted in a level P5 penalty for Newman and the Richard Childress Racing No. 31 team.
 
The sanctioning body rates the seriousness of offenses on a scale of 1-6. A P1 infraction will send you to the back of the field; a P6 will send you to Siberia.
 
And anything above a P3 carries additional "multipliers" tacked on to the initial penalties. Siberia without a coat. In the dead of winter.
 
Because the Newman infraction was discovered after the completion of the race, those "multipliers" came into effect, and a 50-point deduction for Newman and car owner Richard Childress became 75 points. A $75,000 fine for crew chief Luke Lambert swelled to $125,000.
 
Get caught earlier, save money and points, I suppose.
 
Was Newman’s team the only one circumventing the tire rules, or the only one caught?
 
NASCAR took tires from teams after races at Phoenix, Auto Club and Martinsville — Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (twice) and Kurt Busch (once); Team Penske‘s Joey Logano (twice); RCR’s Newman and Paul Menard (once each); as well as the teams of JTD Daugherty (AJ Allmendinger), Furniture Row Racing (Martin Truex Jr.) and Joe Gibbs Racing (Matt Kenseth).
 
All were examined. Only Newman’s failed under further scrutiny.
 
Say what you want about Harvick’s run of top-two finishes but the fact remains that no one’s car is dissected more closely than that of a race winner. Just ask six-time champ Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus — the pair practically had a standing date with NASCAR’s tech crew at the Research and Development Center during the No. 48 team’s run of dominance.
 
Rumors of skirting the tire rules have seemed to grow with each passing week this season, but at least one driver said crew chiefs were warned to leave well enough alone as far back as last year’s fall race at Phoenix.
 
Maybe some took the message to heart, and some didn’t.
 
Blame the new rules package? More things to tinker with or just different ones maybe. Speed can be found in all sorts of places these days in NASCAR, not just under the hood. That’s why the bigger stock-car teams invest heavily in laptops, spreadsheets and engineering degrees.
 
But wheels and tires haven’t changed. Swap four when you need ’em, and two when you’re in a hurry.
 
Just don’t monkey with the air pressures.

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Earnhardt explains broken shifter, team sticks together

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When Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS got caught in a seven-car stack-up in Turn 2 on Lap 228, he and his team already were in the midst of a long day. So could have been excused if they decided to pack up and go home.

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But the driver and pit crew rallied, and Earnhardt was pleased with their efforts and happy to get back on track 47 laps down and fight for every point he could earn. The team improved from 39th to 36th, gaining valuable points that helped him keep pace in the point standings with winner Denny Hamlin in a tie for seventh.

Following a 14th-place start, Earnhardt was running fourth by Lap 50. A broken shifter dropped him as far as 38th by Lap 100. But he made it back to 20th place before the crash on Lap 228 sidelined him until his return at Lap 276.

"When you have those kinds of days, what’s important is that you get the car fixed and you go back out there," Earnhardt said on the "Dale Jr. Download" on Dirty Mo Radio. "And even though you’re 37th worrying about how you can be 36th, you’re still fighting, and you’re still trying and putting forth your best effort. It may seem pointless to worry about gaining a spot or two, but as a competitor, you have to find something to work for, some goal. Something has to matter.

"So it felt good to get back out there and keep digging. As a team, we have to stick together and try to go to the next race and put it behind you, and that’s the best way to do it. Get out there and do everything you can do, run every lap you can run and load up and go to the next race."

The broken shifter was the second for the No. 88 team in the last 12 races. Earnhardt suffered a similar problem last October during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt described how one problem led to a vibration that ultimately caused the shifter to break.

"We had some kind of issue I think with the driveshaft," Earnhardt said. "There was maybe like a little roller bearing or something in the universal joint fell out or came out, disappeared, disintegrated and created a real bad vibration.

"And that vibration is so bad that it actually will break the shifter. It’ll shake the shifter so bad, the shifter literally breaks right off, right on top of the transmission, and I think you guys saw that from the in-car, how we were having that problem. We put another shifter on the car, and it broke that one real quick. And then we put a third shifter on there that actually was a completely different model that held up.

"That had us in the back, but the guys were doing a great job, keeping the car on the lead lap and trying to get that changed. I felt like we needed to come behind the wall and change the driveline, and I’m glad we didn’t because we would have lost a lot of laps doing it. But I felt like that vibration was so bad that we weren’t going to ever get the shifter thing fixed."

Although he was ultimately disappointed with result, Earnhardt said his car, which returned to the track without a nose and resembled a Whelen Modified Tour vehicle, stayed fast like it was to start the day.

"The car was fast even with the nose tore off like it was," Earnhardt said. "We still were passing guys up into the top 20. Got to feel good about the speed we’ve had this year aside from Phoenix. The car has been pretty fast everywhere we’ve gone."

The crew’s determination combined with a competitive ride got him back on track and racing to the end of the 500 laps. Even though his Mooresville, North Carolina, home is a relatively short ride from Martinsville, Virginia, Earnhadt said it was important to finish what the team started last Sunday.

"We had a real good car and got it behind the wall, fixed it up, got back out there and kept digging," Earnhardt said. "That’s what you gotta do. I’ve had times when we’ve tore the car up and basically just packed it in and went home. And you don’t really know at the time, but once you get home and you’re bumming around the rest of the week about how you finished, there’s a part of you that feels a lot of remorse for not trying to do everything you could and run every lap you could run and fight for every position you could fight for. That’s a terrible feeling."

Following an off-weekend, Earnhardt returns to Texas Motor Speedway on the 15th anniversary of his first career premier series victory. It’s also marks a year since a 43rd-place finish that ended in a fireball on the frontstretch when he drove into the grass. But Earnhardt is optimistic he’ll have a result more like his win during his rookie campaign in 2000.

"I expect us to be quick," Earnhardt said. "If we keep showing up fast, we’ll eventually get us a win. We’re going to have a lot of fun running toward the front until we do."

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Speedway adds 250 feet of tire barriers ahead of Duck Commander 500

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Texas Motor Speedway has finished a two-day installation project to add 250 feet of tire barriers ahead of the Duck Commander 500 (April 11, 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX).

The installation was done following the recommendations and guidance of NASCAR officials, according to the track.

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Tire bundles were added to five inner wall areas of the 1.5-mile oval. The locations, length of runs and general construction of the safety additions were per the instruction of NASCAR.

The inner wall at the pit lane exit was the most wide-ranging area with 115 feet of tire barriers added while the areas near the entrance to pit road, the jet truck staging area in Turn 1 and emergency vehicle cut-out areas in Turns 1 and 4 varied between 30 and 35 feet each. According to a track release, approximately 450 tires were used in constructing the barriers, which will serve to complement the existing and extensive SAFER barrier system that currently encompasses a majority of the walls at the track.

"NASCAR officials were here last Sunday and examined the speedway," Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said in a release provided by the track. "We always follow their advice on safety matters, but they requested we only add 250 feet of tire barriers. Considering that the inside wall and outside walls total almost 16,000 feet, adding 250 feet of tire packs is a minor addition. To me, that means NASCAR found the track to be extremely safe."

Following Kyle Busch‘s hard crash into a wall without SAFER barrier at Daytona International Speedway during the NASCAR XFINITY Series opener in February, NASCAR and tracks have been working together to make safety enhancements. Drivers have also been vocal about wanting to see more SAFER barriers at facilities.

The track will also host the XFINITY Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 on April 10 (8:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1).

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Duck Commander 500 will mark Moffitt’s sixth start in 2015; fourth with MWR

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Brett Moffitt will be back behind the wheel of the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing at Texas Motor Speedway, the race team announced on its Twitter account Wednesday.

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Brian Vickers is out for the next three months as he takes blood thinners for a reoccurance of blood clots that were discovered last month. Vickers missed the first two races of 2015 while recovering from heart surgery in December, returned for two races, before missing the past two races due to reoccuring health issue.

Moffitt scored his best Sprint Cup finish driving in place for Vickers at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. The eighth-place result stands as his lone top-10 finish in his career 12 Sprint Cup starts.

After making two starts in the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports at Las Vegas and Phoenix, Moffitt was back to fill-in for Vickers at Auto Club and Martinsville.

The 22-year-old driver has one career Cup start at Texas Motor Speedway, a 40th-place finish that came in last November’s Sprint Cup race at the 1.5-mile track.

The Duck Commander 500 is set for Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET with TV coverage on FOX.

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Where does Tuesday’s ruling rank among those in Sprint Cup history?

MORE: No. 31 team penalized | Newman loses 75 points | RCR issues statement | Rice on advantage gained

NASCAR officials penalized the No. 31 team of Richard Childress Racing for a rules infraction discovered as a result of a post-event tire audit after the March 22 Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway. The infractions amounted to a P5 penalty, and punishment was handed down to driver Ryan Newman, car owner Richard Childress, crew chief Luke Lambert, tire technician James Bender and team engineer Philip Surgen.

Newman, who finished fifth in the race, was docked 75 points in the drivers’ standings and fell from sixth place to 26th. Childress was docked 75 points in the series’ owners championship standings. Lambert was fined $125,000 and suspended from the next six Sprint Cup Series championship races. Bender and Surgen were also suspended from the next six races, and all three crewmembers have been placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31.

Here is a list of the toughest penalties NASCAR has handed out in the Sprint Cup Series, and how this one compares.

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Michael Waltrip Racing | Richmond International Raceway, September 2013
Violation: Section 12-4: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. MWR’s three teams in the Sprint Cup Series (the No. 15, 55, 56) were penalized with the loss of 50 championship driver and 50 championship owner points, respectively. These point penalties were assessed following the season’s 26th regular-season race and not after the seeding for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. That resulted in Martin Truex Jr. being eliminated from the second Wild Card spot in the playoff field. NASCAR also fined the MWR organization $300,000 and indefinitely suspended Ty Norris, MWR Executive Vice President/General Manager and spotter for the No. 55 car, for violating Section 12-4. The three crew chiefs — Brian Pattie (No. 15), Scott Miller (No. 55) and Chad Johnston (No. 56) — were all placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.

Penalty: Loss of 50 Cup Driver Points for each MWR team.*

Ryan Newman, No. 31 | Auto Club Speedway, March 2015

Violations: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. 20.16: Wheels and Tires: A. Any device, modification, or procedure to the tire or wheel, including the valve stem hardware, that is used to release pressure, beyond normal pressure adjustments, from the tire and/or inner shield, will not be permitted.
20.16.2: Tires: F. Modifications to the tires, by treatment or any other means, will not be permitted.
Section 12.5.3.5.1 lists P5 Penalty Violation examples that could include but are not limited to:
A. Effecting, modifying and/or altering the standard tires in any way, other than through authorized means such as tire pressure adjustments within the recommended range, permitted tire cooling when mounted on the race vehicle; or heat-cycling on the race vehicle on the race track earlier in the event.

Penalty: Loss of 75 Cup Driver Points* (Full penalty being appealed-learn more about that here)

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, July 2014

Violation: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 20-2.1: Car body must be acceptable to NASCAR officials and meet the following requirements:
• K – Any device or ductwork that permits air to pass from one area of the interior of the car to another, or to the outside of the car, will not be permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, the inside of the car to the trunk area, or the floors, firewalls, crush panels and wheel wells passing air into or out of the car;
•  L – All seams of the interior sheet metal and all interior sheet metal to exterior sheet metal contact point must be sealed and caulked. This includes, but is not limited to, floors, firewalls, wheel wells, package trays, crush panels and any removable covers;
Section 20-3.4: All references to the inspection surface in sub-section 20-3.4 have been determined with the front lower edge of both main frame rails set at six inches and the rear lower edge of both main frame rails set at eight inches. For driver protection, all firewalls, floors, tunnels, and access panels must be installed and completely secured in place when the car is in competition;
Section 20-3.4.5: A rear firewall, including any removable panels or access doors, constructed using magnetic sheet steel a minimum of 22 gage (0.031 inch thick), must be located between the trunk area and the driver’s compartment and must be welded in place. Block-off plates/covers used in rear firewalls in place of blowers, oil coolers, etc., must be constructed of 22 gage (0.031 inch thick) magnetic sheet steel. Block-off plates/covers must be installed with positive fasteners and sealed to prevent air leakage. Carbon fiber or aluminum block-off plates/covers will not be permitted.

Penalty: Loss of 75 Cup Driver Points*

Carl Long, No. 146 | Lowe’s Motor Speedway, May 2009

Violation: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 12-4-I: Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR rules: Section 20-5.4A: Engine exceeded the maximum engine size of 358.000 cubic inch displacement.

Penalty: Loss of 200 Cup Driver Points.

Matt Kenseth, No. 20 | Kansas Speedway, April 2013

Violation: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 12-4J: Any determination by NASCAR Officials that Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to the NASCAR Rules detailed in Section 20 of the NASCAR Rule Book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the Event. Section 20-5.5.3E.: Only solid magnetic steel connecting rods with a minimum weight of 525.0 grams will be permitted. Connecting rod failed to meet the minimum connecting rod weight.

Penalty: Loss of 50 Cup Driver Points.*

Jeremy Mayfield, No. 12 | Talladega Superspeedway, April 2000

Violation: Section 12-4-A: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 8-8: Fuel used by a Competitor that does not meet NASCAR specifications. Section 12-4-AA: Use of altered fuel or fuel other than the official fuel at the Event.

Penalty: Loss of 151 Cup Driver points.

Johnny Sauter, No. 70 | Lowe’s Motor Speedway, May 2008

Violation: Section 20-3.1.3A: Wing mounting locations were not as specified by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

Penalty: Loss of 150 Cup Driver points.

Appealed: NASCAR Penalty upheld.

Scott Riggs, No. 66 | Lowe’s Motor Speedway, May 2008

Violation: Section 20-3.1.3A: Wing mounting locations were not as specified by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

Penalty: Loss of 150 Cup Owner points.

Appealed: NASCAR Penalty upheld.

Brian Vickers, No. 83 | Martinsville Speedway, October 2008

Violation: Section 12-4-Q: Section 20-2.1D: Exterior sheet metal body parts did not meet the specified minimum thickness.

Penalty: Loss of 150 Cup Driver points.

Martin Truex Jr., No. 1 | Daytona International Speedway, July 2008

Violation: Section 12-4-Q: Section 20-3.8A: Roof of the car does not conform to the specifications of the NASCAR Rule Book.

Penalty: Loss of 150 Cup Driver points.

Travis Kvapil, No. 43 | Pocono Raceway, June 2010

Violation: Section 12-1: Section 12-4-J: Section 20-10.7J: Unapproved modification to valve stem hardware.

Penalty: 150 Cup Driver Points

Clint Bowyer, No. 15 | September 2010, New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Violation: Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Section 12-4-J: Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR Rules: Section 20-3: The car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis, does not meet the NASCAR-approved specifications.

Penalty: 150 Cup Driver Points

*These penalties are ranked according to their severity in proportion to the points system used at that time. NASCAR moved to a one-point-per-position format in 2011.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Organization scores first win since May of 2014, three top-fives at short track

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Having spurred on his NFL teams to three Super Bowl rings, Coach Joe Gibbs should know a thing or two about delivering a motivational pep talk. Turns out the technique works just as well in the world of stock-car racing.
 
The Joe Gibbs Racing organization had very little to show for its expansion to a four-car stable in 2015, posting just three top-five finishes across its 20 combined starts before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series headed to Martinsville Speedway last weekend. After the preceding two events, when the best Gibbs — or any Toyota team, for that matter — could muster was a 13th-place finish from newcomer Carl Edwards, enough was enough.

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"We had the longest competition meeting I’ve ever been a part of this past weekend," Denny Hamlin said Sunday, shortly after breaking the JGR slump with his fifth Martinsville victory. "Joe raised his voice, which doesn’t happen very often, told us to get off our tails and go to work, and we all did it, and great result for this race team.
 
"Sometimes you need a leader like that to kind of put things in perspective. Not that people weren’t working hard, but it just takes that extra 10 percent out of everyone to get to that next level."
 
Whatever was said, the words took hold. Aside from Hamlin’s victory, the three other Joe Gibbs Racing entries enjoyed drastic upturns in the results column. Matt Kenseth led multiple laps and wound up fourth, just one spot ahead of teammate David Ragan, making his fifth start in place of the injured Kyle Busch. Only Edwards, who spun after contact knocked out the valve stem from his right-rear tire in the closing laps, was relegated outside the top 10.
 
The sample size just six races into the season is a small measuring stick, but the JGR camp is hopeful that it’s indicative of a turnaround as it heads next to Texas Motor Speedway on April 11.
 
"Whether they are or they aren’t, it was a good day today and that’s something that we can hang our hat on," said crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who guided Kenseth’s No. 20 Toyota to its best finish of the year. "… We’ve been hanging around the front a little more often now, and I feel like we’ve been qualifying better, getting off the truck faster on Friday, and that makes a huge difference. At the end of the day on Sunday, I think you can look back and if you start better, you typically finish better in the weekend."
 
At Martinsville, Kenseth’s car was the only JGR entry starting among the top 10, but the ability to minimize mistakes over the 500-lap long haul paid dividends. Hamlin was able to rally from an early pit-road penalty to methodically climb back into contention, and his three teammates also made the most of damage control at one of NASCAR’s most treacherous courses.
 
Performance deficit or merely bad breaks? Ragan said he believes he knows the difference.
 
"I think we’ve had this potential all year," Ragan said. "I think you look at Denny, Carl and Matt — and even the 18 car — we’ve had good speed. We just haven’t been able to seal the deal. Mistakes on different parties’ behalves have prevented us from getting a good finish, but I think this will give everyone some confidence, hopefully get the monkey off our back and go to Texas, and I would think one of the Gibbs cars could be a favorite at Texas."
 
For Hamlin specifically, his early clinch into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field helps relieve some of the pressure for crew chief Dave Rogers and his No. 11 team. With Darian Grubb atop the pit box last year, Hamlin came up just shy of securing a first premier-series championship last season. With his first victory since last May at Talladega Superspeedway, Hamlin also welcomed the return to form that had been missing in recent months.
 
"It’s been roughly a year for both of us, and really myself," Hamlin said. "We’re just not used to not having success, and especially with the resources that we have. Boss man over here expects a lot from us and we expect to be in Victory Lane and be up front.
 
"You know, even though it doesn’t cure things, it makes things better, and what this does for our race team in particular is that we’ve got some kinks in our team right now, but like Dave says, this allows you — this buys you months of time to get everything worked out and get all the kinks worked out because we know we can go on a championship run, and knowing that this race track holds the key to that top-four getting into Homestead, I like our chances."

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