NASCAR: Daniel Suarez penalized following 2018 AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover

By Asher Fair | May 9, 2018

DOVER, DE - MAY 05: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #19 STANLEY Toyota (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

Daniel Suarez’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.

Daniel Suarez’s #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team have been issued an L1-level penalty following the 11th race of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware this past Sunday.

The team were found to have committed a rear window violation, just as the #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team of Clint Bowyer were found to have done. However, Suarez’s team were found to have violated Section 20.4.8.1c as opposed to Section 20.4.8.1 like Bowyer’s team were found to have done.

Here is what NASCAR.com had to say about the matter.

"“The No. 19 team violated Section 20.4.8.1.c as its rear window decklid was not sealed properly.”"

As a result of this penalty, Suarez’s crew chief Scott Graves was fined $50,000, and his and his car chief Todd Brewer was suspended for the next two Cup Series points races. These two races are set to take place this Saturday night at Kansas Speedway and on Memorial Day Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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Suarez, who finished in third 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 17th place in the standings, which is where he sat prior to being issued this penalty, Suarez now sits in 20th in the standings.

Suarez’s 20-point penalty is reflected on the updated standings pages on Beyond the Flag. However, is has not been taken into account in our NASCAR Cup Series Team Power Rankings and NASCAR Cup Series Driver Power Rankings following the AAA 400 Drive for Autism. With that being said, appropriate changes to the formula variables affected by his penalty have already been made so that both sets of power rankings released after Saturday night’s race at Kansas Speedway are accurate.

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Three L1-level penalties had been issued throughout the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season up until the aftermath of the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover International Speedway. The L1-level penalty issues to Daniel Suarez and the two other L1-level penalties issued to Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer following the race doubled the season’s total of L1-level penalties issued after only one race. Will NASCAR continue to crack down on these violations as the season moves forward?

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