NASCAR issued its weekly penalty report following the race weekend at Michigan International Speedway and contained in the report was suboptimal news for a driver and team attempting to secure their place in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.
Parker Kligerman and his No. 48 Big Machine Racing team were assessed an L1-level penalty and have been docked 20 championship driver and owner points, as well as five NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Points, and the team’s crew chief Patrick Donahue has also been fined $25,000 following the Cabo Wabo 250.
The 20-point penalty could prove to be ultra-costly down the stretch for Kligerman as he exited Michigan 36 points above the Playoff cutline, 11th on the 12-driver grid. With the penalty, his point cushion slips to just 16 points to the good.
According to the report, in pre-race inspection, Kligerman’s team violated section 14.4.10.A of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rule Book, which pertains to the spoiler on his No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro. According to the rule book, L1-level penalties can have penalties ranging from 20-75 points, and 1-10 Playoff Points, and can also result in a 1-3 race suspension for a team member, and a $25,000-100,000 fine.
The penalties issued by NASCAR on Wednesday were on the lenient end of the L1-level penalty spectrum with Wednesday’s ruling.
There were no other penalties listed on the post-race weekend penalty report from Michigan International Speedway.
