Bob Pockrass
FOX NASCAR Insider
NASCAR docked Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece 35 points and fined Joey Logano $10,000 for infractions during the recently completed Atlanta race weekend.
The most intriguing issue was Logano as NASCAR determined he had increased the webbing between his thumb and fingers in his left-hand glove. In qualifying, drivers sometimes stick their fingers through the holes of the window net to redirect the air, and this appeared to be an attempt to direct more air.
Drivers are not allowed to alter safety equipment in a way that is not in accordance with the instructions of the equipment. All webbing and stitching must pass fire retardant safety standards set by the racing safety body SFI.
The extra webbing was clearly visible from the in-car camera angle that was shown during qualifying on the telecast, meaning that NASCAR officials either saw the issue initially Saturday or it was pointed out to them afterward.
NASCAR inspected the gloves Sunday morning and required Logano to start the race Sunday at the rear of the field (he was supposed to start on the front row) and do a pass-through at the start of the race. He likely would have lost two laps but the caution coming out on the second lap resulted in him not losing a lap.
Those penalties were the “competition” side of the penalties for the infraction. The $10,000 fine issued Tuesday was consistent with other fines for safety violations.
When asked Sunday night about NASCAR’s decision to send him to the rear of the field and do a pass-through following a frustrating Atlanta race for him, Logano said he didn’t know all the details.
The penalties to the SHR drivers resulted from having roof air deflectors — confiscated Friday in prequalifying/prerace inspection — that did not meet NASCAR specifications. The roof air deflector is a piece made by the teams, so it isn’t as egregious a violation as it would be if the piece came from a single-source supplier.
The aftermath of Joey Logano’s penalty for a wearing a glove in qualifying
The loss in points dropped Preece to 0 points and now 47 points behind the current playoff cutoff. Gragson now has minus-6 points, 53 points behind.
An SHR spokesman said the team has not yet made a decision on whether to appeal the penalty.
In the Xfinity series, NASCAR suspended SS Green Light Racing crew chief Jason Miller for two races for putting driver Kyle Weatherman in a headlock following the race Saturday. While NASCAR is willing to allow drivers to fight without suspension, NASCAR does not want crew members to be involved in any fighting.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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