For the fifth time in the last seven weeks, NASCAR has suspended a crew chief for rule violations – in this case, for infractions found during post-race inspection following the Monster Energy Series race last weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Mike Bugarewicz of Stewart-Haas Racing drew a one-race suspension and was fined twenty-five thousand dollars after it was discovered that the weight of the simulated T-V video component on Clint Bowyer’s Number-14 Ford did not meet NASCAR specifications. The team was docked ten owner and driver points, which does not affect Bowyer’s 18th -place position in the point standings. He finished third in Sunday’s First Data 500. Seven crew chiefs across all three of NASCAR’s national series have now been suspended since the 2017 playoffs began in September.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will get the weekend started early today with a pair of practice sessions at Texas Motor Speedway, as preparations continue for Friday night’s JAG Metals 350 that’ll kick off a tripleheader weekend on the Fort Worth oval. X-finity and Monster Energy Series teams will open practice on Friday afternoon. So far, Toyota has swept the first four races of the Truck Series playoffs this fall with drivers Christopher Bell, Ben Rhodes, Parker Kligerman and Noah Gragson logging victories.