The National Motorsports Appeals Panel has voted to uphold the L2 penalty NASCAR dealt to Kaulig Racing on March 15.
The No. 31 team was originally handed a $100,000 fine, a 100-point penalty in the driver and owner standings, as well as a four-race crew chief suspension. While the substantial fine and suspension was upheld for crew chief Trent Owens, the 100-point penalty was reduced to 75 points in both the driver and owner standings.
However, the appeals panel did not return the 10 playoff points Kaulig Racing lost in the original penalty.
The penalty was related to the hood louvers NASCAR confiscated from Justin Haley’s No. 31 Chevrolet previous to the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway on March 12. It was determined that Kaulig Racing had modified a single-source, vendor-supplied part on the original louvers, violating Sections 14.5.4.2.A. from the NASCAR Rule Book.
Hendrick Motorsports was also given the same penalty for all four of their Cup Series operations. Through the appeal process, their penalty has also been amended.
On Thursday morning, Kaulig Racing released a statement on Twitter in response to the results, announcing their plans to further appeal the penalty.
Regarding yesterday's appeal results: pic.twitter.com/LGwzyAMfST
— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) April 6, 2023