NASCAR: Fines & Penalties After Atlanta

This Tuesday, NASCAR announced several cases of penalties following the races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Among the most notable is Joey Logano, driver for Team Penske, who was fined $10,000 for using racing gloves not certified by the SFI.

During the pre-race inspection in Atlanta, it was discovered that Logano's gloves had been altered, adding a black mesh between the thumb and index finger of the left hand. This was evident during his qualifying lap on Saturday, where he was seen placing his left hand against the window net. Despite having qualified in second place, Logano had to start the race from the back of the pack and serve a penalty in the pits at the start of the race. No point penalties were imposed on the driver or his team.

In another incident, the teams of Stewart-Haas Racing, specifically the #10 car of Noah Gragson and the #41 car of Ryan Preece, were penalized for using unapproved roof air deflectors. NASCAR inspectors confiscated these items during the first day's inspection. Both teams and drivers lost 35 points each as a result of this penalty. Following these sanctions, Gragson is left with -6 points and Preece with zero points so far this season. Stewart-Haas Racing has not made any comments nor decided whether to appeal the decision.

In the Xfinity Series, Jason Miller, crew chief for driver J.J. Yeley, has been suspended for two races after being involved in a physical confrontation with driver Kyle Weatherman. During the race, contact between Yeley and Weatherman resulted in Yeley spinning out. A video posted on YouTube shows Miller confronting and grabbing Weatherman by the neck next to his car after the event. Additionally, crew chief Seth Chavka was fined $5,000 for a problem with a poorly adjusted nut on Joe Gibbs Racing's Toyota #19 after the race.