Ryan Blaney and Team Penske’s No. 12 will already have a hole to dig out of early in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as NASCAR found Blaney’s No. 12 had an improperly mounted ballast in pre race technical inspection.
Blaney’s crew chief Todd Gordon has been ejected from the race track, while Blaney and the No. 12 team will receive a 10 point penalty, virtually erasing any level of comfort that Blaney had entering the first round of the playoffs, a round that includes two tracks that the 26-year-old has never scored a top-10 finish on.
In a statement, Team Penske has accepted the penalty and stated that they will not appeal. The team also disclosed that Travis Geisler will serve as the crew chief for the No. 12 team in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Here is the full statement from Team Penske on the penalty:
“A 5lb bag of lead that is typically used during setup at the shop to simulate fluid weights prior to the race engine being installed was accidentally left in the car. The team accepts the penalty and Travis Geisler will serve as the crew chief (for tonight).”
Blaney’s Menards Ford Mustang was scheduled to start seventh in Sunday’s 500-mile event.
*Notice of Correction: This story originally detailed that car chief Raymond Fox would be ejected for the weekend, however it’s NASCAR’s discretion to choose the crew member and they elected to eject crew chief Todd Gordon for the weekend.
