NASCAR has suspended two pit crew members from Trackhouse Racing’s No. 1 team for the next two Cup Series races after a wheel came off the car during Sunday’s race at Circuit of the Americas.
Rear-tire changer Kenneth Pozega and jackman Josh Appleby have been barred from participating in the upcoming events at Phoenix Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials said Tuesday.
The penalties stem from a loose right-rear tire on the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain, which detached under green-flag conditions on Lap 75 of the race.
The sanctions fall under Sections 8.8.10.4 A&D of the NASCAR Rule Book, which stipulates that a wheel lost beyond pit road results in a two-race suspension for two pit crew members and a two-lap penalty for the car.
Chastain and his crew were assessed the two-lap penalty during the event, and he finished the race in 35th place, two laps down.
The suspensions will keep Pozega and Appleby off pit road for Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway and the March 15 event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Both will be eligible to return at Darlington Raceway, scheduled for March 22.
The penalties mark another chapter in NASCAR’s enforcement of safety regulations designed to prevent loose wheels from jeopardizing competitor and fan safety.
NASCAR’s Rule Book has clear provisions aimed at holding teams accountable when critical components such as wheels are not secured properly during competition.
Chastain’s team will need to adjust personnel for the upcoming races as they look to rebound from the setback, which compounded a challenging weekend at COTA and dropped them in the early Cup Series standings.
