NASCAR News: Officials eject #88 and #71 Crew Chiefs in Kansas

NASCAR issued penalties to Shane van Gisbergen’s Trackhouse Racing Team and others ahead of Race 2 in the Round of 12 at Kansas Speedway. The No. 88 team (pictured), led by van Gisbergen, was penalized for an unapproved adjustment made after inspections during Saturday’s practice.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Discovered post-qualifying, the violation resulted in severe consequences, and the ejection of crew chief Stephen Doran for the weekend. Engineer Chaise Eliason will step in as van Gisbergen’s interim crew chief. Originally set to start 24th, van Gisbergen now faces a tougher race from the back.

NASCAR also announced that the team:

– Lost its pit stall selection.
– Will start at the rear of the field.
– van Gisbergen must perform a stop-and-go penalty after receiving the green flag.

Similarly, Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Spire Motorsports team was penalized for unapproved splitter changes after failing inspections multiple times. NASCAR ejected crew chief Travis Peterson, and McDowell will also start at the rear after qualifying 21st. Additionally, Cody Ware’s No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford failed inspection twice, leading to the ejection of car chief Dave Jones and loss of pit stall selection, though the car passed on its third attempt.

Despite van Gisbergen’s earlier promise this season, with finishes of 20th at Kansas, 14th at Richmond, and a top-20 at Daytona, his oval performances have been inconsistent. The penalties make a strong result in this race an uphill battle, especially after he fell short of Trackhouse owner Justin Marks’ expectations, exiting the title hunt in the Round of 16. However, other Trackhouse teams remain unaffected. Misery loves company, as van Gisbergen and McDowell’s teams share similar penalties, facing a challenging race day without their key leaders.