Kyle Busch's team receives penalties up to 2023
NASCAR has issued penalties to Joe Gibbs Racing after Kyle Busch's #18 Toyota Camry lost a wheel during last weekend's Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Officials have given suspensions to Busch's crew chief Ben Beshore and pit crew members Michael Hicks (rear tire changer)
and Derrell Edwards (jackman) for the next four races.
On Twitter, Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass confirmed the news and wrote:
“Also, as expected, Kyle Busch’s crew chief Ben Beshore, jackman Derrell Edwards and
tire changer Michael Hicks have been suspended from the next four events – via Clash (pit crew
members did not Clash last year, but that would count) -- for the wheel going out in Vegas.”
The suspension falls under sections 8.8.10.4 and 10.5.2.6 of the NASCAR Rulebook,
which penalizes teams for the loss or separation of an incorrectly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle.
The incident occurred when Kyle Busch pitted on lap 229 for new tires along with the rest of the field after a warning.
When he left the pit road, the left rear wheel was loose and he got out of the car in the backstretch.
The 37-year-old, however, managed to resolve the issue and crossed the finish line at P3 in front of his home crowd.
#18 Joe Gibbs Racing will not have a crew chief and crew member for the next four races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and the Championship event at Phoenix Raceway.
The suspension will take place at the Busch Light Clash exhibition event at the Coliseum on February 5, 2023, ahead of next year's opening race, the Daytona 500.
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