Chase Elliott will be without crew chief Alan Gustafson for the next two Cup races after NASCAR issued its second L1 penalty against the team this season.
NASCAR announced Tuesday that the No. 9 team was found to have violated Section 20.4.8.1 (dealing with rear window support). A brace that supports the rear window did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions. The infraction was found in inspection at NASCAR’s R&D Center.
The infraction is from Sunday’s Texas race. Elliott finished 11th.
NASCAR fined Gustafson $50,000 along with the suspension. Elliott was docked 20 points. The team was docked 20 car owner points.
Elliott drops from 15th to 18th in the season standings with the penalty. Elliott now has 128 points. He’s had 45 points in penalties.
Hendrick Motorsports stated it would not appeal the penalty. Kenny Francis will serve as Elliott’s crew chief this weekend at Bristol and next weekend at Richmond.
NASCAR penalized Elliott’s team for an L1 violation found after the Phoenix race in March. NASCAR stated that the team’s truck trailing arm/pinion angle shim mounting surfaces must be planar and in complete contact with corresponding mating surfaces at all points and at all times. Elliott was docked 25 points for that infraction.
This is the third L1 penalty to the team since the beginning of last year’s playoffs -- a span of 17 races.
NASCAR penalized the team in September 2017 for an infraction after the race in the playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway. NASCAR penalized the team modifying components to affect aerodynamic properties of the car.
NASCAR docked Elliott 15 points, the team 15 car owner points, fined Gustafson $25,000, suspended Gustafson one race and suspended car chief Joshua Kirk two races.
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