NASCAR fined Danica Patrick $20,000 for approaching the track after her accident in Sunday’s race at Auto Club Speedway. She also has been placed on probation for the next four Sprint Cup points races.
Section 10.4.2.1.a in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Rule Book addresses what a driver must do after an incident, stating: “At no time should a driver or crew member(s) approach any portion of the racing surface or apron. At no time should a driver or crew member(s) approach another moving vehicle.’’
Patrick crashed after contact with Kasey Kahne during last weekend’s race. She exited her car and walked toward the racing surface to express her displeasure with Kahne when he drove by.
NASCAR also announced Thursday that it fined Kyle Busch $10,000 and placed him on probation through April 27 for not reporting to the media center after Saturday’s Xfinity Series race. The winner, runner-up and third-place finisher are required to report to the media center after the race unless excused by NASCAR, according to the rule book. Typically, NASCAR excuses the third-place finisher. Busch, who was second, was not excused.
NASCAR did not penalize Busch for his comments on the team’s radio channel after the race. NASCAR also did not penalize crew chief Cole Pearn for his tweet about Joey Logano after Sunday’s race. Pearn later apologized for the tweet.