NASCAR suspends 3 members of Spire Motorsports for mid-race incident

According to section 10.5.2.6 of the NASCAR rulebook on safety, loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle may result in a penalty if it is violated.

After breaking this rule in the Sunday, February 13th, 2022 race at Phoenix Raceway, crew chiefs and crew members found themselves in a tight situation.

Corey LaJoie and the crew chief were suspended for violating the rule. This happened on Lap 46 on Sunday, after LaJoie's right-front wheel fell off and he collided with the wall.

On Twitter, NASCAR reported the news of the suspension of No. 7 car.

Corey LaJoie did not take lightly the penalty imposed on them, stating:

“The rule was made to deter crew chiefs from telling the tire changers to hit three (lug nuts) and send it because it made the pit stop a second faster. Now, you’re going to suspend a crew chief four races for what the right-front tire changer thinks they’re getting it tight. Ryan Sparks does not want to send our car with a loose wheel and stuff it in the fence and finish last, and also kill a whole car. The penalty is almost already divvied out before NASCAR even hands a penalty out.”

On Twitter, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) highlighted the statement of Corey LaJoie, stating that NASCAR should reevaluate the rules.

He continued, stating:

“When you are laying a penalty, you also have to look at intent, right, because if the intention with hitting three lug nuts was a faster stop and the wheel comes off, yeah. That’s the crew chief’s call to hit three lug nuts. That is a team-wide decision to do. With one lug nut, it’s either on there or it is not on there. It’s not a competition advantage to not get a wheel tight anymore.”

However, following Saturday's race Xfinity series in Phoenix, Joe Gibbs Racing crew chiefs Jason Ratcliff (No. 18 team) and Jeff Meendering (No. 19 team) violated Safety Sections 8.8.10.4a. This is enforced when the lug nuts are not properly installed. They were both suspended and fined $5000 each.

Other NASCAR Teams that Have Faced Similar Penalties

Spire Motorsports is not the only team that has been penalized for improperly installing tires. During the second Race of the 2022 season, Wise Power 400 in Fontana, the ax fell on Front Row Motorsports.

Crew Chief Seth Barbour and his crew members were struck with a four-race suspension after Todd Gilliland, driving No. 38, lost a tire during a caution period on stage one.

However, the team has already begun the appeal of the suspension, hoping it will be lifted.

In 2017, NASCAR handed Joe Gibbs Racing several penalties, suspending crew chiefs Adam Stevens, Jacob Seminara, and Kenneth Barber for four races.

Their suspension was attracted after Kyle Busch lost his left-rear wheel a few minutes after leaving the stall pit.