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Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson has been penalised by NASCAR for a rear window issue in last weekend’s Cup series race at Kansas.
Larson’s #42 Chevrolet was penalised because its rear window support braces did not keep the rear window glass rigid in all directions at all times and the rear window was not flush with the deck lid as the rulebook requires.
Larson was involved in an incident with Ryan Blaney on lap 249 of 267 of Saturday’s race. Blaney drifted up the track and hit Larson, then hit the wall and Larson had taken damage to the left-rear.
NASCAR inspectors swarmed the car after the race and announced later it was being taken to its R&D Centre in North Carolina, for further inspection.
Crew chief Chad Johnston has been fined $50,000.
Car chief David Bryant has been suspended from the next two NASCAR Cup series points events, not including the All-Star Race.
The team will also lose 20 driver points and 20 owner points.
After the race, Larson said he believed the window problem was a result of his run-in with Blaney.
“I didn’t have it until after Blaney and I got together,” he said.
“So, I’m glad to see that we have a lot of damage back there because obviously if there was no damage back there, we would probably get a penalty, and who knows, we might still.”
NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer, Steve O’Donnell, said he had never seen race damage produce that kind of problem.
“It’s an area we continue to focus on because the teams know they’ve found something there,” he said.
At least three other Cup teams – those of Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott and Clint Bowyer – have been penalised already this season.