Front Row Motorsports, one of NASCAR Sprint Cup smallest competitors, was hit with heavy penalties for equipment violations.
In an official release NASCAR officials said “the team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-10.7J (unapproved modification to valve stem hardware) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.
As a result, crew chief Steve Lane has been fined $100,000, suspended for the next 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Sept. 15 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Car chief Richard Bourgeois and tire specialist Michael Harrold have also been suspended from the next 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Sept. 15 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.
Driver Travis Kvapil and owner Doug Yates have been penalized with the loss of 150 driver and 150 owner points, respectively.”
This is not the largest penalty imposed by the sanctioning body. Owner, Carl Long, was hit with a $200,000 fine, 200 point penalty and suspension, as a driver, for an illegal engine.
Front Row owner Bob Jenkins said in a statement "we take the rules of this sport very seriously, and we support NASCAR in its enforcement of those rules."
"It was not our intent to put unapproved valve stem caps on our car at Pocono, a track where such a maneuver would clearly not provide any advantage. We are conducting our own internal investigation to determine how those parts got into our inventory and onto our car last weekend.
"While we recognize we have to pay for our mistake, this was an unintentional, isolated incident," Jenkins continued. "We plan to immediately submit an appeal through NASCAR's formal appeal process as outlined by the NASCAR rule book."
Kvapil, interviewed on Sirius radio said “I want the race fans and the listeners to know this was not intentional. We're not out there to cheat. We're not going to take chances like that.”
The team can continue to race while the appeal is being filed. But Kvapil fell below the top-35 lock-in for qualifying and will have to qualify on speed. Robby Gordon, whose car failed to qualify on speed for last week’s race in Pocono is now 35th in owner points and guaranteed a starting spot in Sunday’s race in Michigan.
In an official release NASCAR officials said “the team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-10.7J (unapproved modification to valve stem hardware) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.
As a result, crew chief Steve Lane has been fined $100,000, suspended for the next 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Sept. 15 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Car chief Richard Bourgeois and tire specialist Michael Harrold have also been suspended from the next 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Sept. 15 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.
Driver Travis Kvapil and owner Doug Yates have been penalized with the loss of 150 driver and 150 owner points, respectively.”
This is not the largest penalty imposed by the sanctioning body. Owner, Carl Long, was hit with a $200,000 fine, 200 point penalty and suspension, as a driver, for an illegal engine.
Front Row owner Bob Jenkins said in a statement "we take the rules of this sport very seriously, and we support NASCAR in its enforcement of those rules."
"It was not our intent to put unapproved valve stem caps on our car at Pocono, a track where such a maneuver would clearly not provide any advantage. We are conducting our own internal investigation to determine how those parts got into our inventory and onto our car last weekend.
"While we recognize we have to pay for our mistake, this was an unintentional, isolated incident," Jenkins continued. "We plan to immediately submit an appeal through NASCAR's formal appeal process as outlined by the NASCAR rule book."
Kvapil, interviewed on Sirius radio said “I want the race fans and the listeners to know this was not intentional. We're not out there to cheat. We're not going to take chances like that.”
The team can continue to race while the appeal is being filed. But Kvapil fell below the top-35 lock-in for qualifying and will have to qualify on speed. Robby Gordon, whose car failed to qualify on speed for last week’s race in Pocono is now 35th in owner points and guaranteed a starting spot in Sunday’s race in Michigan.