CONCORD, N.C. — The National Motorsports Appeals Panel met Wednesday to hear Hendrick Motorsports’ appeal regarding L2-level penalties levied by NASCAR for unapproved parts modifications that occurred at Phoenix Raceway.
Appeals Panel members Kelly Housby, Dixon Johnston and Bill Lester made the decision to amend the penalites that were assessed to all four Hendrick Motorsports teams in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The decision was made to uphold the fines of $100,000 to all four teams as well as the four-race suspensions handed to crew chiefs Cliff Daniels, Alan Gustafson, Rudy Fugle and Blake Harris.
However, each team has been restored 100 owners points and 10 playoff points. Kyle Larson, William Byron and Alex Bowman receive the same points back from the initial reduction. NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry drove the No. 9 Chevrolet at Phoenix in place of the injured Chase Elliott and was not penalized as he does not compete for Cup points.
“We are pleased that the National Motorsports Appeals Panel agreed that Hendrick Motorsports violated the rule book,” NASCAR released in a statement. “However, we are disappointed that the entirety of the penalty was not upheld. A points penalty is a strong deterrent that is necessary to govern the garage following rule book violations, and we believe that it was an important part of the penalty in this case and moving forward. We will continue to inspect and officiate the NASCAR garage at the highest level of scrutiny to ensure a fair and level playing field for our fans and the entire garage.”
The four crew chiefs will be eligible to return to competition April 16 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The return of 100 points was significant for the team as Bowman jumped into the series point lead, while Larson moved from 27th to ninth in the standings and Byron moves to third.
“We are grateful to the National Motorsports Appeals Panel for their time and attention,” said Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick in a statement. “Today’s outcome reflects the facts, and we’re pleased the panel did the right thing by overturning the points penalty. It validated our concerns regarding unclear communication and other issues we raised. We look forward to focusing on the rest of our season, beginning with this weekend’s race at Richmond (Raceway).”
NASCAR discovered and confiscated the hood louvers from all four Hendrick cars before practice on March 10, but allowed the teams to practice before taking the parts back to the R&D Center in Concord, N.C., for further examination. Hendrick replaced the louvers after practice and all four cars passed technical inspection before Byron won the Cup race at Phoenix.
The hood louvers are openings or vents in the hood that serve as a release point for ducts that transfer air out of the radiator.