NASCAR: Silly Phoenix post-race lug nut penalty report

NASCAR’s lug nut fines just couldn’t get any sillier.  Thankfully, the new car in 2022 gets rid of the antiquated 5-lug nut system.

NASCAR issued fines to 10 national series teams and handed down a one-race suspension to a crew chief for lug nut violations coming out of the Championship Weekend held at Phoenix. 

No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota crew chief Ben Beshore has been fined $20,000 and suspended from the next NASCAR Cup Series event (the Clash) as the No. 18 of driver Kyle Busch had two lug nuts not safe and secure in a post-race check.

Five other Cup crew chiefs were fined $10,000 for having one lug nut not safe and secure in a post-race check, including three of the Championship 4 crew chiefs and the race winner/title winner Kyle Larson. They were: 

—No. 2 Team Penske crew chief Jeremy Bullins (for driver Brad Keselowski)

—No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Cliff Daniels (for driver Larson)

—No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Chris Gabehart (for driver Denny Hamlin)

—No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief James Small (for driver Martin Truex Jr.)

—No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing crew chief Jonathan Hassler (for driver Matt DiBenedetto)

Sunday’s Cup race marked the last of the Gen-6 car that saw each wheel have five lug nuts on it. The Next Gen that will debut in 2022 has just a single center-locking lug nut on each wheel. 

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, two crew chiefs were fined $5,000 for having one lug nut not safe and secure in a post-race check. They were:

—No. 11 Kaulig Racing crew chief Alex Yontz (for driver Justin Haley)

—No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Chris Gayle (for driver John Hunter Nemechek)

In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, two crew chiefs were fined $2,500 for having one lug nut not safe and secure in a post-race check. They were:

—No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises crew chief Scott Zipadelli (for driver Austin Hill)

—No. 26 GMS Racing crew chief Charles Denike (for driver Tyler Ankrum)