Suspension Looming for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Crew Chief

Dale Jr. just needs to retire

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s final Bojangles’ Southern 500 ended with 22^nd-place finish as the Hendrick Motorsports driver continues to disappoint his fans in his final season.

To make matters worse, Earnhardt’s crew chief, Greg Ives, will get a one-race suspension and a $20,000 fine after the No. 88 was found to be missing two lugnuts on the right-rear wheel in post-race inspection at Darlington Raceway.

Earnhardt, who is 22^nd in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings, will need to win next Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway if he wants to make NASCAR’s playoffs and race for a championship in his final season.

“They pulled me over because I’ve got some loose lugnuts on the right-rear," Earnhardt said of the NASCAR inspectors. “Yeah, I mean when they saw they picked right up on it. I had a really bad vibration that last run and there was a bunch of them loose on the right-rear. They (the pit crew) must have just kind of had a screw up."