NASCAR is streamlining its warning and penalty structure. The sanctioning body announced the changes in a revision to the Rule Book for each of the top three national series on Wednesday.
The move wipes the slate clean for all teams regardless of how many warnings they’ve incurred up to this point in the season. Accumulation of warnings begins now.
NASCAR’s Rule Book now states that for every fourth warning a team receives, whether the event is a points or non-points event, it will result in the loss of pit selection. Warnings can not be appealed.
If the fourth warning is issued before pit selection takes place at a points race, the loss of pit selection will be assessed for that event. If not, it will be assessed at the next points race.
NASCAR listed examples of violations – but not limited to – that could lead to a warning as:
Failing qualifying or pre-race inspection twice or more at the same event.
Left side driver heat shield that does not meet the rules.
Installation of additional components and/or modifications of existing components that affect the aerodynamic properties of the vehicle that are not explicitly permitted.
Incorrect bolt size discovered for the rear wheel opening support – as long as this was discovered in pre-race and corrected before the race.
Confiscated parts not rising to a higher level penalty.
NASCAR also changed its policy on how long warnings last. Warnings will no longer carry through into the following season.
Previously, if a team received two warnings during the same event or during two consecutive events, it could result in a P1 penalty such as last choice in pit selection, loss of practice time, delay in order of inspection, loss of time in qualifying, be selected for post-race inspection. Those and other such penalties have been removed from the Rule Book, as NASCAR sought to make it more clear exactly what the penalty would be.
NASCAR also removed the section that if any member receives six or more warnings during a six-month period from the first warning, it would lead to a P2 penalty.
