DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Though Aric Almirola collected a seventh-place finish on Sunday during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, it didn’t come without a bit of a stinger.
Almirola’s No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing team was issued a safety violation for one lug nut that was “not safe and secure” during NASCAR’s weekly penalty report, released Monday.
The issue falls under Section 10.9.10.4 of the NASCAR Rule Book, which pertains to tires and wheels, specifically lug nut installation.
John Klausmeier, crew chief for Almirola’s No. 10 Ford Mustang, was fined $10,000 for the missing lug nut. The penalty does not carry with it a disqualification, as higher-level penalties do under NASCAR’s new inspection model that debuted this season.
Monday’s penalty report was dominated by the indefinite suspension of NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self for a violation of the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.
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