Penske Rebuffed By NASCAR Appeals Panel

Roger Penske

The National Stock Car Racing Commission has unanimously upheld NASCAR sanctions imposed on Penske Racing for rear end housing and component violations discovered during pre-race inspection at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13.

NASCAR has said the parts in question were unapproved due to alterations that allowed them to move in a way that officials had previously ruled illegal.  Penske Racing alleged that the specific modifications had not been outlawed. Pocono Raceway CEO Brandon Igdalski, former NASCAR executive Paul Brooks and Bowman Gray Stadium (NC) promoter Dean Pinellis comprised the three-member panel.

Today’s ruling upholds the $100,000 fines assessed to Paul Wolfe, crew chief for Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Miller Lite Ford and Todd Gordon, crew chief on Joey Logano’s No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford. Both men were suspended for six point-counting races and the non-point Sprint All-Star Race and placed on probation through December 31. 

Car chiefs Jerry Kelley and Raymond Fox, engineers Brian Wilson and Samuel Stanley and team manager Travis Geisler were also suspended for six point races and the Sprint All-Star Race, and placed on probation through December 31.  

Keselowski and Logano were docked 25 championship driver points, with car owners Roger Penske and Walt Czarnecki penalized an equal number of owner points. Penske said today that he will appeal the verdict to Comission Chairman John Middlebrook, all suspensions will be tabled until the appeal is heard next Tuesday, May 7 at 10 AM ET at the NASCAR R&D Center.