Stewart driving his service award
NASCAR’s latest attempt to reel in the rule-breakers aimed at an unfamiliar target: the normally squeaky-clean Joe Gibbs Racing.
NASCAR’s decision Wednesday to suspend seven JGR crew members indefinitely for attempting to manipulate a horsepower test after a Nationwide Series race last weekend put a serious dent in owner Joe Gibbs’ reputation.
While NASCAR decided against banning the cars from future races, the penalties were among the harshest NASCAR has levied.
> Crew chiefs Jason Ratcliff and Dave Rogers were suspended and fined $50,000 each.
> No. 18 car chief Dorian Thorsen, engine tuner Michael Johnson and crew member Toby Bigelow and No. 20 car chief Richard Bray and engine tuner Dan Bajek were all suspended indefinitely.
> Drivers Tony Stewart and Joey Logano were each docked 150 driver points.
> JGR was stripped of 150 owner points for each car, and the teams were placed on probation for the rest of the season.
After Stewart finished third in Saturday’s race at Michigan International Speedway in the No. 20 car and Logano was seventh in the No. 18, inspectors found magnets on the gas pedals on both cars when they were sent to the chassis dyno for examination. NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said the teams were trying to mask the cars’ true horsepower. The discovery of magnets in an attempt to make the test show the cars were using less horsepower came as Gibbs’ No. 18 and No. 20 Toyotas have dominated the second-tier series.
In other penalties assessed Wednesday, Donnie Wingo, crew chief for Sprint Cup driver Reed Sorenson of Peachtree City, was fined $25,000 by NASCAR for an improperly attached weight on the No. 41 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge.
The violation was found by inspectors following Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway.
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