Clint Bowyer’s team have been issued an L1-level penalty following the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover, the AAA 400 Drive for Autism, this past Sunday.
The #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team of Clint Bowyer have been issued an L1-level penalty following the AAA 400 Drive for Autism, the 11th race of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware this past Sunday.
The team were found to have committed a rear window violation. They were found to have violated Section 20.4.8.1 dealing with rear window support.
Here is what NASCAR.com had to say about the matter.
"“A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions at all times.”"
As a result of this penalty, Bowyer’s crew chief Mike Bugarewicz was fined $50,000, and his car chief Jerry Cook was suspended for the next two Cup Series points races, which are this Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway and the race on Memorial Day Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Bowyer, who finished in second place in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism, was also docked 20 points in the championship standings, and the team also lost 20 owner points. As opposed to sitting in fourth place in the standings, which is where he sat prior to being issued this penalty, Bowyer now sits in fifth in the standings. However, he is still locked into the playoffs thanks to his victory earlier this season at Martinsville Speedway.
These standings pages on Beyond the Flag have been updated to reflect Bowyer’s 20-point penalty. However, our NASCAR Cup Series Team Power Rankings and NASCAR Cup Series Driver Power Rankings following the AAA 400 Drive for Autism have not been updated to reflect it. However, appropriate changes to the formula variables affected by this penalty have been changed leading up to this Saturday night’s race at Kansas Speedway.
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The L1-level penalty issues to Clint Bowyer and the two other L1-level penalties issued to Daniel Suarez and Austin Dillon following the 2018 AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway are the fourth, fifth and sixth L1-level penalties issued this season, thus doubling the season’s total of three L1-level penalties issued in a matter of just one race weekend. Will NASCAR continue to crack down on these violations as the season progresses?