Stewart-Haas Racing’s future has been a major talking point with Kevin Harvick retiring from the NASCAR Cup Series at the conclusion of the 2023 season; however, the present is truly not in a good spot.
While Harvick sits fourth in the points standings, the rest of Stewart-Haas Racing is out of the playoff picture. Chase Briscoe is 17th, Aric Almirola is 26th, and Ryan Preece is last in 28th place with zero top-10 finishes.
The performances have not been up to expectations and things seemed like they could not get any worse. Well, that changed when NASCAR’s penalty report following the Coca-Cola 600 came out on Wednesday evening.
Related: Stewart-Haas Racing linked to rising NASCAR star if Aric Almirola retires in 2023
Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing given monstrous NASCAR penalty, will not appeal
NASCAR has laid the hammer down on Briscoe and Stewart-Haas Racing and it is certainly not pretty. In fact, it is one of the biggest penalties in NASCAR history and seems to be the first L3-level penalty since the introduction of the new rules.
Briscoe and the No. 14 team have been docked 120 owner/driver points, 25 playoff points, a $250,000 fine, and a six-week suspension for crew chief John Klausmeier. This was due to the discovery of a counterfeit NextGen part.
NASCAR states the No. 14 team violated multiple sections of the rule book which prohibits counterfeiting a NextGen part alongside the Underwing and Engine Panel Assembly (Sections 14.6.A/14.6.3B).
It is the largest penalty toward a specific car in the NextGen era. NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer told the following to NASCAR.com when the penalty was announced.
“In the post-race inspection at the R&D Center, we found the No. 14 car had an engine panel NACA duct not in compliance with the rule book. It is a counterfeit part, and that is an L3 penalty…We need to make sure we’re keeping the teams and the car in compliance. The deterrence model has to fit that, and that’s our responsibility as custodians of the sport and of the garage. Don’t mess with a single-source part. Working in areas we used to in the Gen-6 car, is just not going to be acceptable with this car as we move forward. It’s not going to be the culture we’re going to allow.”
Elton Sawyer on the penalty for Chase Briscoe/Stewart-Haas Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing has decided not to appeal the penalty and will move forward with the violation. Briscoe will drop from 17th to 32nd in the point standings with 12 races left in the regular season.
This is very troubling news for Briscoe as the No. 14 team has lacked race-winning speed the entire season. It is a must-win situation as points now become irrelevant. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs now becomes the first driver out of the playoff picture.
NASCAR has been very strict on the modification of NextGen parts but this one trumps them all. Stewart-Haas Racing’s mistake will end up really hurting Briscoe as looks to make the playoffs for the second straight year.
In the meantime, whether you are watching it live or looking for how to watch NASCAR on TV or another streaming platform, Sportsnaut has you covered for the upcoming weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway!