When Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet smacked the outside wall at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway on Sunday and his right-front tire proceeded to roll away from the car, anyone following NASCAR for the last few years likely assumed what would happen to the team.
They were proven right on Tuesday when NASCAR suspended three Spire Motorsports crew members — including crew chief Ryan Sparks — for the next four Cup Series races. The suspension is based on Section 10.5.2.6 in the rulebook: “Loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle.”
LaJoie, in his second year with Spire Motorsports, believes the rules and the punishment for its violation should be revisited, specifically given that it was adopted in an era before the Next Gen car and single-lug-nut wheels.
“We’re still trying to figure out what happened, because it’s a big blow to us,” LaJoie said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “When the rule was put in place (it was) to deter the crew chiefs from hitting three lug nuts or two lug nuts on the money stop. … Now, you’re going to suspend a crew chief four races for what the right-front tire changer thinks they’re getting a tight (single lug nut). Ryan Sparks does not want to send our car out with a loose wheel and stuff it in the fence and finish last and also kill a whole car.”
Last place was where LaJoie finished Sunday’s race, completing only 45 laps before the incident.
For LaJoie, that’s “penalty enough” for the mistake.
“When you are laying (out) a penalty you also have to look at intent, because if the intention with hitting three lug nuts was a faster stop and the wheel comes off, yeah, that’s the crew chief’s call to hit three lug nuts,” LaJoie said. “That is a team-wide decision to do. With a one lug nut, it is either on there or it’s not on there. It’s not a competition advantage to not get a wheel tight anymore.”
LaJoie avoided pointing blame at anyone for the mishap on Sunday.
“I’m not gonna say it’s a design flaw,” LaJoie said. “I’m not gonna say it’s this that or the other thing, but I’m also saying that we did everything in our power to keep that thing tight and it didn’t stay on there.”
The suspension of the Spire Motorsports crew members are not the first this season for an unsecured wheel infraction.
Trent Owens, crew chief on Justin Haley’s No. 31 car at Kaulig Racing, and Seth Barbour, crew chief on Todd Gilliland’s No. 38 at Front Row Motorsports, were each issued four-race suspensions during the first three races of the season.
Both teams appealed the penalties, deferring the suspensions until an appeal was heard.
The National Motorsports Appeals Panel announced its decision regarding the suspensions for the No. 31 team and the No. 38 operation on Wednesday. Both penalties were upheld.
Kaulig Racing won’t appeal the penalty further.
“We respect NASCAR’s decision on the appeal,” team president Chris Rice said in a statement. “We will take penalty, move on, and work hard to be better.”
The suspensions of Kaulig Racing crew members, plus Sparks and the other two Spire Motorsports crew members, are set to go through the April 9 Cup race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
After losing a wheel at @phoenixraceway, @CoreyLaJoie tells @DanielleTrotta on #SXMOnTrack that suspending a crew chief for a lost wheel is a rule that needs to be reevaluated. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/IR85o9vdWp
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) March 15, 2022