TALLADEGA, Ala. – Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing received the first major post-race penalty of the NASCAR season on Tuesday for violations from the GEICO 500 weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
NASCAR officials issued Dillon’s No. 3 team an L1-level penalty for a rear deck lid that did not comply with the NASCAR rule book, discovered prior to Busch Pole Qualifying on Saturday.
Competition officials determined that body filler, colloquially known as Bondo or repair putty, was added to the deck lid and confiscated the illegal part as a result.
Dillon has been docked 10 driver points and car owner Richard Childress has been docked 10 owner points as part of the penalties issued by NASCAR.
Crew chief Danny Stockman was also fined $25,000 and car chief Gregory Ebert has been suspended for one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points event.
Pending a potential appeal, Ebert could sit out for this weekend’s Cup Series event at Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway, the next event on the calendar for NASCAR’s top division.
Dillon ended up 14th in Sunday’s rundown, and despite his pole starting position, never led during the 188-lap event.
NASCAR also fined crew chief Jeremy Bullins $10,000 after one lug nut was found to be “not safe and secure” on the No. 12 Ford of driver Ryan Blaney following Sunday’s GEICO 500.
Blaney finished 15th in Sunday’s Cup Series event.