Joe Gibbs Racing to challenge NASCAR's major penalty against Chase Briscoe after Daytona 500

Joe Gibbs Racing on Tuesday (Feb. 18) announced that they will challenge the 100-point L2-Level penalty from the Daytona 500. The Joe Gibbs-owned team will appeal to the National Motorsports Appeal Panel and will hope to have the decision on Chase Briscoe overturned.

The NASCAR Cup Series authority penalized Briscoe and his #19 team after they found a spoiler modification on the Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE. After the NASCAR officials discovered the discrepancy, they docked Briscoe 100 points and 10 playoff points and suspended crew chief James Small for the next four races.

Additionally, Joe Gibbs Racing was also fined $100,000, 100 driver/owner points, and 10 playoff points. One can understand that the penalty received by Briscoe and JGR was humongous, and it surely dealt a huge blow to the team in their championship efforts.

In the hope of overturning the verdict, Joe Gibbs Racing will appeal against the huge punishment. JGR released a team statement recently, where they stated (via Athlon Sports):

“Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) will appeal the penalty issued by NASCAR to the No. 19 Cup Series team today. The issue in question was caused in the assembly process when bolts used to attach the spoiler base to the deck lid caused the pre-drilled holes to wear due to supplied part interferences.”

As a result of the penalty, Chase Briscoe dropped down to 45th in the standings with -67 points. As for the playoffs scenario, he is currently 88 points under the cutline. Notably, penalties of such nature are rarely overturned successfully.

As per reports, a total of 175 appeals have been filed against the penalties by NASCAR since 1999. Out of these, only 39 were reduced, and 16 were overturned, whereas a staggering 118 penalties were upheld.

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Joe Gibbs Racing's justification for Chase Briscoe discrepancy

After NASCAR Cup Series officials found discrepancies with Joe Gibbs Racing's #19 entry for Chase Briscoe, they slapped him with a heavy fine. However, Joe Gibbs Racing admitted that the discrepancy found was unintentional.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe (19) makes a pit stop during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway - Source: Imagn

Here's what the team's statement read (via Athlon Sports):

"The issue in question was caused in the assembly process when bolts used to attach the spoiler base to the deck lid caused the pre-drilled holes to wear due to supplied part interferences."

In addition to Chase Briscoe, NASCAR also deducted 10 points each after Todd Gilliland's #34 car and Cody Ware's #51 car violated a safety protocol. Their cars were found with ballast outside the ballast container(s). As a result, the governing body also docked 10 points from Front Row Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing's owner points.