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NASCAR errs in issuing penalty to Daniel Hemric after Xfinity race

NASCAR Xfinity Series Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300

BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 14: Daniel Hemric, driver of the #21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet, races during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 14, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

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BRISTOL, Tenn. - NASCAR announced that it erred in announcing a penalty to Daniel Hemric after Saturday’s Xfinity race and that Hemric will be eligible for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus next week at Richmond Raceway.

“We’re man enough to stand here and say that we looked at (the rule) wrong,’' Wayne Auton managing director of the Xfinity Series, said Sunday morning at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Auton said that an issue was raised Saturday when the right rear wheel toe alignment on Hemric’s Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet exceeded what is allowable in Section 20.17.3.1.5 of the Xfinity Rule Book.

“At that point in time we made the announcement that the 21 car did exceed the tolerance for mechanical measurements,’' Auton said, referring to Hemric’s car.

NASCAR announced that Hemric, who finished third, was no longer eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus for Richmond and that Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones would take his spot.

“Going back and making sure we do our due diligence and making sure we looked at all of our numbers and our rules in the rule book, there’s a chart in the rule book that all the teams are aware of,’' Auton said. “One side (of the rear wheel toe alignment) was out of tolerance and the other side was not and it did not exceed the number that is in the rule book, which would have led to an L1 penalty.’'

Both sides must be out of tolerance for it to be a penalty. With only one side out of tolerance, there was no infraction.

“It’s my responsibility to make sure that whenever they make an announcement to me that I get my part right,’' Auton said.

Auton said that NASCAR contacted both Richard Childress Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing on Sunday to inform them that Hemric would again be eligible for the Dash 4 Cash and no penalties would be assessed to his team.

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