NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) have had a bit of a tumultuous relationship as of late, and now the saga continues as the sanctioning body once again slammed two of the four HMS Chevy Camaro ZL1 teams with heavy-handed penalties for the second time in the 2023 season.
Before we get into the new penalties, let’s revisit NASCAR versus Hendrick Motorsports over the last few weeks. All four HMS entries were penalized after illegal parts were seized ahead of the March 12th race at Phoenix Raceway. After a hearing on Wednesday, March 29th, the National Motorsports Appeal Panel (NMAP) ruled that the penalties assessed to the four Hendrick teams should be amended, upholding suspensions and fines, but repealing point deductions.
NASCAR was not pleased with NMAP’s ruling, stating, “We are disappointed that the entirety of the penalty was not upheld.”
That brings us to now:Â the No. 24 Camaro of William Byron and the No. 48 Camaro of Alex Bowman were seized by NASCAR after the race at Richmond Raceway on April 2nd. The sport’s postrace procedures entail “randomly” selecting two race cars for closer inspection after each Cup Series event. During a teardown of the two Hendrick race cars, NASCAR found that the greenhouses of both vehicles were not to spec.
The greenhouses violated Sections 14.1.D: Overall Assembled Vehicle Rules; 14.1.2.B: Engineering Change Log; and 14.5.6.B: Greenhouse in the NASCAR Rule Book. Specifically, this section states, “The greenhouse may be modified to accommodate a windshield wiper motor where required; these modifications will be permitted for all race tracks. The greenhouse modification must conform to the following drawing,” indicating a diagram.
As a result, as of April 6th, Bowman’s No. 48 Chevy team and Byron’s No. 24 Chevy team have each been docked 60 driver points and five Playoff points. Their respective crew chiefs were suspended for two additional point-paying events and fined $75,000 each. HMS indicated that it will make a decision on whether or not to appeal this latest penalty after this weekend’s races at the Bristol dirt track.
It certainly seems that NASCAR is sending a message to Hendrick Motorsports, reminding the Chevy team that the sanctioning body has a close eye on it.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevy news, NASCAR news, GM motorsports news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
How, exactly, does that make an advantage to the car?
@Sherlock You are absolutely correct! Ludicrous! Nascar again singling out HMS for a ridiculous, per the ‘Nascar Talking Heads’ referring to a Stupid Azz Rule in the ‘Liberal Nascar Bible! Get real Nascar… Stop the Madness!
Randomly selected my butt. Chosen with malice.
I’ve been a NASCAR fan for over 60 years. I’ve never seen NASCAR pull so much krap. The crowds are getting smaller, the product is getting lousy, and the costs to teams is sky high. On top of all this, it’s getting harder and harder for teams to obtain sponsors….the life blood of the sport! NASCAR has gotten way to big for it’s own good. They throw around suspensions and fines, like there is a never ending stash of cash from the teams. They need to stop all this krap, and soon. The team owners with the deepest pockets will soon start to walk away. Look at Tony Stewart, he’s moving on to the NHRA drag racing. Yes there are rules, but one never hears of the BS in NHRA that is happening in NASCAR. Wake up NASCAR. The owners are already bitching about what is happening with revenue sharing. And now, they hand out fines etc, like the barrel of money will never empty. Just watch. Fans are leaving more now than ever. If this krap keeps up, even more will book. Time to reevaluate the entire sport. Yes it’s business, but without the teams, there is NO NASCAR!
The entire sport is a joke!
The almighty NASCAR got poked in the eye on that favorable ruling to HMS by the NMAP …..
Now they’re PISSED……they will be on their azz from here on out…..prime time for others to slip some tricks
through the cracks now…….
Why have the appeal process if nascar don’t like the results .that’s part of why you appeal something as far as randomly selecting cars that is B.S. there singling them out.
If Nascar looked long enough and hard enough at any car from any team, they could find some minor infraction to the body or engine. They do not build these cars on an assembly line in a factory; they are hand built cars. All these stupid meaningless rules are taking the racing out of racing. I think Nascar is just trying to show Hendrick, who’s the boss. If Nascar keeps this up, some teams might decide to form a new governing body, and stock car racing ends up being split like Indy racing was for 20-plus years.
When they said greenhouses were violated, I thought they were modified for better aerodynamics, like laying the a-pillars back like they used to do years ago when they used a template to check for roof modifications. But it is a windshield wiper location that was not used in the race. It sounds like a little sissy NASCAR judge is trying to show his strength so he can tell his Mom what a smart boy he is.
@C1TOC8 Agree 100%. No doubt Nascar is pissed off because it didn’t go their way trying to give HMS another black eye! Kinda’ similar to a DOT Officer doing a Level 3 Inspection on a Truck Driver and his/her equipment and their intent is to assess anything and everything to put that Driver ‘Out of Service’ and writing Ticket(s) to him/her and the company for which they are driving for just to make a point… Because they can and will hurt you and put you out of business or at the very least out of a job! All Candyazz B.S. to show who is in charge. Believe me… Been there done that! Nascar is on the track to turn Sponsors and Teams to take their Ball elsewhere!
I agree, %100. NASCAR is out of control. Just cause it’s their ball, their ballfields and rules. They think the teams and owners will put up with it. I think those days are coming to fast ending soon.
They did say RANDOM selecting 2 HMS cars, right? Nothing to do with the appeal ruling handed down by NMAP, if they don’t stop trying to be the GESTAPO they are going to be out of a job, wake up NASCAR!
Snoopy
NASCAR = Drunk with Power. Go Woke, Go Broke…… IMO
HMS would quit cheating . They always get away with it. Evert time they get caught they pay there way out. Money no object. But the points is. HMS aways get what he wants. And nascar need to change there name. There’s no stock car racing anymore.
HMS cheating?… Really?… Nascar just had a bug up it’s azz since the points that the ‘High and Mighty Nascar Talking Heads’ deducted points from the Phoenix Race to HMS were then reinstated by NMAP back to HMS since it should never had happened in the first place. Nascar has got to stop issuing points to Teams for ‘Chicken S..t infractions or violations’ to the so called ‘Rule Book Bible’ especially when it is absolutely Ridiculous. Good Lord, if there was type of ‘Candy Azz Rules and Regulations’ in the NHRA…Could you imagine…Never, ever would this kind of ‘Crap’ Happen in the NHRA! Where would the competition go… right out the window and die a ‘Quick Death’ as it should! Yes…The ‘Liberal’s’ have now taken over Nascar! What ever happened to may the best Race Car, Driver and Team winning the race as it was back in the day! Now that was ‘Real Stock Car Racing’ in my book! Unfortunately, it looks like it’s gone forever which is so sad!
what part of these cars is STOCK. They lost me years ago.
Will the last one out of the speedway turn off the lights. Asscar is dead.
There’s no stockcar racing anymore now. Go back to the old racing .that was racing.
Charlotte mafia won’t let this one slide
NASCAR and the France family have made their billions wake up everyone, they don’t care about the fans, they don’t care about the teams. They only care about their pockets and to show their Mr Bad@ss. Well the second part is right. Back in they day, my wife and I went to at least 14 different races a year, no more. Too expensive, too much politics. NHRA, Indycar, hell even formula 1, doesn’t have this petty @ss bull$hit. I’m 69 years old saying, NASCAR, look in the stands, look at the sponsors they lost. NASCAR NEEDS A MANAGEMENT OVERHAUL!
I wish Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Richard Childress, Roger Penske, or someone like that would step up and start a new sanction body. Set up some wide open races. Real stock cars. You add roll bars and whatever tires you want to run and may the best driver win. You put on a show for the fans, not the owners, not the drivers, not Nascar but the god dang fans. I wonder if Nascar even noticed how empty the stands were for the Bristol dirt race?
A) it was Easter
B) it was cold
C) the spring Bristol race has never packed the stands since its inception
My point exactly. Nascar does not care about the fans..
To be fair, most of NASCAR’s revenue is from TV. They don’t cater to fans in the stands anymore. Not saying that’s a good thing, that’s just the way it is.
A windshield wiper motor box? Have you lost your frigging minds? Maybe Mr. Hendricks should salute Mr. France and give him a “Sieg Heil”! Whatever France wants, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with racing.