(WOMR file photo)
Joe Gibbs Racing will not appeal penalties handed down by NASCAR against the #11 JGR team for not having the firewall of Denny Hamlin’s car properly sealed at the recent Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Team spokesman Chris Helein confirmed the decision Thursday afternoon.
By having the front or rear of the cockpit improperly sealed, it could allow additional air into the car to improve downforce.
The Joe Gibbs Racing #11 crew chief Darian Grubb was also fined $125,000, and the team was hit with a loss of 75 owner points and 75 driver points for Hamlin.
The decision not to appeal means Grubb and car chief Wesley Sherrill will not be allowed to come to the track until the first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, which begins next month at Chicagoland Speedway.
On the other hand, it eliminates a potentially time-consuming and draining appeal process at a time when the team wants to be solely focused on winning a championship.
JGR said initially it had planned to appeal the penalties. However, from the get-go, the team opted to let both Grubb and Sherrill begin to serve the penalty immediately. That would allow both to return at the beginning of The Chase. Therefore, to this reporter, it was very obvious that JGR was caught “with their pants down”, and would not really appeal this penalty!
Grubb was also fined $125,000 and the team was hit with a loss of 75 owner points and 75 driver points for Hamlin.
The decision not to appeal means Grubb and Sherrill will not be allowed to come to the track until the first race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, which begins next month at Chicagoland Speedway.
On the other hand, it eliminates a potentially time-consuming and draining appeal process at a time when the team wants to be solely focused on winning a championship.
JGR said initially it had planned to appeal the penalties but subsequently team officials changed their minds.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
