Three NASCAR Ford Cup Series teams were penalized following the race at Atlanta on February 25th, 2024. Two Ford Mustang Dark Horse race cars belonging to the Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) stable were found to have illegal parts, while Joey Logano was nabbed for something a bit less obvious – he made illegal modifications to his driving glove.
During a practice session at Atlanta late last week, parts were seized from the No. 41 Mustang driven by Ryan Preece, and the No. 10 Mustang driven by Noah Gragson. Officials found that the roof air deflectors were not in compliance with the NASCAR Rule Book. As a result, each team was docked 35 driver and owner points.
According to the NASCAR Rule Book, roof air deflectors must be made of parts as outlined in Section 14.5.6.1.a. Additionally, they must meet the following criteria: be constructed of 0.05-inch thick aluminum; be installed perpendicular in the applicable slots; must not interfere with the functioning of the roof flaps; and must be painted.
Roof air deflector illustration from 2024 NASCAR Rule Book
“It’s a team part, but it has to meet the CAD drawing,” Elton Sawyer, NASCAR Senior VP of Competition, said in an interview. “And in this case, it didn’t meet that.”
At this time, SHR has not indicated if it intends to attempt to appeal the penalty.
Meanwhile, Logano, driver of the No. 22 NASCAR Ford Mustang, was fined $10,000 for modifying his left-hand driving glove with webbing between the thumb and index finger to provide an aerodynamic advantage by sticking his hand out the window during the race. The glove was found to be in violation of Section 14.3.1.1 in the NASCAR Rule Book, which refers to Driver Protective Clothing/Equipment. Specifically, the guideline states that “gloves shall have separate sections for each finger and thumb.”
During the race, Logano was sent to the rear of the field and forced to serve a pass-through after the green flag for the illegal glove. He ultimately finished 22nd after being involved in a wreck.
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Comment
So why do the Hendrics Chevys get busted with non compliant hood louvers and they end up with no points deducted???