By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
NASCAR has issued penalties following this past weekend’s events at Atlanta Motor Speedway across all three-national series.
In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Kevin Harvick, winner of the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, was found with one lug nut missing or unsecured. His crew chief, Rodney Childers, was fined $10,000.
In the NASCAR XFINITY Series, Mike Shiplett, crew chief for John Hunter Nemechek, and Tim Brown, crew chief for David Starr, were both fined $5,000 for one having one lug nut missing or unsecured after the Rinnai 250.
In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the No. 4 team from Kyle Busch Motorsports will be without crew chief, Marcus Richmond I; rear tire changer, Coleman Dollarhide; and Jackman Earnie Pierce for the next three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events. The team was found in violation of Section 12.5.2.6.3 of the NASCAR rule book for an improperly installed wheel.
In the final pit stop of the Active Pest Control 200, there was a miscommunication amongst the team. Dollarhide had already unsecured the lug nuts on the left rear tire before Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 4 car at Atlanta, left the pit box. The tire eventually came off of the truck shortly after the exit of the pit lane.
Supplied lousy air guns to the teams and NASCAR has the balls to fine folks for loose nuts. NASCAR has more balls then a Chinese ping pong tournament.