NASCAR: Governing body ties the hands of Appeals Panel

–by Mark Cipolloni–

NASCAR did not like some of the actions of the appeals panels that have been reducing or eliminating penalties they impose on cheaters, so now they have changed the rule book to tie the Appeals Panels hands.

The change reads:

The Appeals Panel (and Final Appeal Officer) may not completely remove any element of the originally assessed penalty provided in the Penalty Notice as defined in Rule Book Section 10.5.2 Determination of Penalties; modifications to a penalty are limited to the minimum and maximum ranges as listed in the Rule Book. By way of example, if NASCAR assessed a penalty that consisted of points reductions, monetary fines and suspensions, all three elements of the originally assessed penalty must remain, but the amount of each element could be adjusted within the minimum and maximum penalty ranges.

Moving forward, NASCAR has the right to publish the Appeals Panel / FAO justification for modifying or rescinding a Penalty.