NASCAR Cheats: Majeski and team penalized for cheating

NASCAR Truck driver Ty Majeski has been penalized 75 driver/owner points and 5 playoff points for his confiscated wheel at Milwaukee.

NASCAR officials issued L2-level penalties Tuesday to the ThorSport Racing No. 98 team in the Craftsman Truck Series for infractions found at the circuit’s most recent race at the Milwaukee Mile.

The No. 98 team was found in violation of Sections 14.16.1 and 14.16.1.A&C of the NASCAR Rule Book, which deals with wheels and tires, and wheel assembly, specifically the valve stems. As a result, the organization and driver Ty Majeski were each docked 75 points and five playoff points in their respective standings. Crew chief Joe Shear Jr. was also fined $25,000 and suspended for the next four Craftsman Truck Series events, through Oct. 21 at Homestead-Miami Speedway — the next-to-last race of the season.

The infraction was discovered during inspection before last Sunday’s Clean Harbors 175 at the 1-mile Wisconsin track. NASCAR officials confiscated the No. 98 truck’s right-rear tire and ejected Shear before the event. The team was also forced to start the race at the rear of the field and served a pass-through penalty on pit road shortly after the green flag.

Ty Majeski guided the No. 98 Ford to a seventh-place finish at Milwaukee. The 29-year-old driver had won the opening event in the seven-race Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 11.

Three other Truck Series teams were penalized after Milwaukee. The No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Chevrolet team was handed an L1-grade penalty for violating Sections 14.4.12.2.A&B: Triangular Filler Panels. Officials deducted 10 points from both the team and driver Matt Mills in their standings. Two of Niece Motorsports’ teams were issued $2,500 fines for each having one unsecured lug nut in a post-race check; the safety violations (Sections 8.8.10.4a) were issued to crew chiefs Mike Hillman (No. 41 Chevrolet for driver Bayley Currey) and Phil Gould (No. 42 Chevy for playoff driver Carson Hocevar).

Competition officials also announced that Aaron Volf has been suspended indefinitely for a behavioral infraction. Volf has been listed on the official NASCAR team rosters as a hauler driver for the Tricon Garage No. 15 team in the Truck Series from the start of the season through the Aug. 11 race at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He was found in violation of Rule Book Sections 4.1 (NASCAR Substance Abuse Policy) and 10.1.A., which covers actions detrimental to stock-car racing.