NASCAR Cup Series: Kyle Larson penalized following 2018 KC Masterpiece 400 at Kansas

Kyle Larson’s team have been issued an L1-level penalty following the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas, the KC Masterpiece 400, this past Saturday night.

Kyle Larson’s #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet team have been issued an L1-level penalty following the KC Masterpiece 400, the 12th race of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas this past Saturday night.

The team were found to have committed a violations of Section 20.4.h pertaining to vehicle body and Section 20.4.8.1.b&c pertaining to rear window support and structure.

Here is what Zack Albert of NASCAR.com had to say about why the penalty was issued.

"“The rear window not flush to the rear deck lid and the rear window support braces not keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions.”"

As a result of this penalty, Larson’s crew chief Chad Johnston has been fined $50,000 and his car chief David Bryant has been suspended for the next two Cup Series points races, which are next Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the race on Sunday, June 3 at Pocono Raceway.

Larson, who finished in fourth place in the KC Masterpiece 400 after starting in 38th (last) place and leading more laps than any other driver in the field, was also docked 20 points in the championship standings as a result of this penalty, and the team also lost 20 owner points as well.

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As opposed to sitting in 10th place in the standings, which is where he sat prior to being issued this penalty, Larson now sits in 11th in the standings He also lost the playoff point that he earned by winning the second stage of the KC Masterpiece 400. Instead of having one playoff point, he now has none.

Aside of Larson, only Kevin Harvick has been docked playoff points so far this season. Harvick lost the seven playoff points that he earned by winning the first two stages and the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this season as a result of an L1-level penalty.

The NASCAR Cup Series standings page on Beyond the Flag has been updated to reflect Larson’s 20-point penalty. However, our NASCAR Cup Series Team Power Rankings and NASCAR Cup Series Driver Power Rankings following the KC Masterpiece 400 have not been updated to reflect this penalty.

That said, appropriate changes to the formula variables affected by Larson’s 20-point penalty have already been made so that both sets of the NASCAR Cup Series Team Power Rankings and NASCAR Cup Series Driver Power Rankings released after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on Sunday, May 27 are accurate.

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Seven L1-level penalties have now been issues to six different NASCAR Cup Series drivers through 12 races so far in the 2018 season, with four of those penalties having been issued to four different drivers over the last two races. Who will be the next driver penalized after a race by NASCAR for a violation or violations?

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