Joshua Thomas and Nicholas Covey, two crew members from Richard Childress Racing, have been penalized by NASCAR following Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.
The incident that forced the penalties happened late in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, when Austin Dillon left his pit stall before all four wheels were completely tightened.
Dillon returned to the racetrack in his BetMGM-sponsored machine and lost the left front wheel, drawing a late-race caution, and thus requiring the sanctioning body to hand down additional penalties mid-week.
Thomas and Covey will not be practicing competitive pit stops in the next two NASCAR Cup Series events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Both crew members will return to servicing the No. 3 Chevrolet at Martinsville.
Michael Johnson will take over as front tire changer of the No. 3 this weekend at Las Vegas, with Garrett Crall serving as interim jackman. Both crew members have been bounced around various crews for Richard Childress Racing, Kaulig Racing, and Team AmeriVet this season.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, four crew chiefs received monetary fines for improperly secured lug nuts found in a post-race check.
James Pohlman (No. 7 JR Motorsports), Phillip Bell (No. 8 JR Motorsports), Andy Street (No. 21 Richard Childress Racing), and Jeff Meendering (No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing) have all been fined $5,000.
