Appeals panel amends penalty levied against RFK Racing No. 17 team
On Wednesday, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel amended the L1-level penalty issued to the No. 17 RFK Racing team and driver Chris Buescher on May 15 after the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.
Upon hearing the testimony, the decisions of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel are that the appellant violated one or more, but not all, of the rule(s) set forth in the penalty notice. The team violated 14.5.4 (front bumper cover) but did not violate 14.1.2 (exhaust cover panel). Therefore, the panel amended the original penalty assessed by NASCAR to include a loss of 30 championship driver and team owner points, a loss of five driver and team owner playoff points, a two-race suspension for the crew chief and a $75,000 fine for the team.
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In reaching the above decision, the panel provided the following explanation: 'The panel concluded that NASCAR met its burden of proof regarding the reinforcement of the front bumper cover but did not meet it regarding the trimming of the exhaust panel cover. The rule book regarding the exhaust panel trimming lacked specificity on the amount trimmed or not trimmed. Accordingly, the panel reduced the owner and driver points penalty from 60 to 30 points.'
As a result of the modified points penalty, Buescher moves up from 23rd to 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
The three-member panel was comprised of Mr. Tom DeLoach, Mr. Cary Tharrington and Mr. Kevin Whitaker.
At Kansas, Buescher finished eighth in the AdventHealth 400 and his No. 17 Ford was selected as one of two cars to be taken back to the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, for further inspection. That is where officials ruled the car was in violation.
Crew chief Scott Graves has already served his two-race suspension.
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