On Wednesday, NASCAR announced that it would be assessing penalties to three individuals, following the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series events at Road America.
The most severe of the penalties was handed to fourth-year NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Noah Gragson, after he was determined to have intentionally wrecked another competitor, triggering a massive 16-car pileup.
Gragson has been fined $35,000 and docked 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series driver points by the sanctioning body, while his No. 9 JR Motorsports team has been assessed with the loss of 30 owner points.
Despite Gragson’s fine and points deduction, the Las Vegas, Nevada-native has not been suspended and will compete in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series events at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as scheduled.
The announcement of the penalties comes just one day after Elton Sawyer – NASCAR’s VP of Officiating and Technical Inspection — reassured that all things were on the table in regards to a potential penalty.
Earlier on Wednesday, Gragson and team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. both made appearances on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, where they discussed the potential punishment for his actions on Saturday.
From NASCAR: “Every situation is unique, but in this case, there was significant enough concerns that due to the aggressive nature of the race (beating and banging) and the potential for mechanical failures, we wanted to discuss with Noah and look at the race car to ensure there was nothing mechanical that may have led to the incident. Obviously, nothing was wrong with the car and it was clear it was intentional. Parking the 9 during the event was an option, but we felt that more information was needed before making a decision on any disciplinary measures.”
From Kelley Earnhardt Miller: “We understand today’s penalty. Noah is a passionate racecar driver, and his actions occurred in the heat of the moment. Learning how and when to keep emotions in check is all part of the learning experience.”
Also in the NASCAR Xfinity Series garage, Bruce Schlicker, crew chief of AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro has assessed a fine of $5,000, for having one lugnut improperly secured post-race.
Additionally, Sean Kerlin – a mechanic in the NASCAR Cup Series — has been indefinitely suspended for violating NASCAR’s Substance Abuse Policy.
One Response
what about Sage Karem what was his penalty he was just as much responsible for that wreck as gregson he had intentially hit Gregson several times before the wreck