Can NASCAR teams get penalties reduced or overturned completely on appeal?

NASCAR teams can get their penalties reduced or modified, but not always overturned or erased on appeal. The decision depends on various factors, including how the Appeal Panel rules on the penalty. Recently, the governing body issued Roush Fenway Keselowski driver Chris Buescher and the #17 team an L1 penalty for the Kansas Speedway race.

Chris Buescher finished the Advent Health 400 race at Kansas Speedway in eighth. His #17 Ford was selected as one of the two cars to be sent to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, for inspection, and the officials ruled the car violated two rules.

Initially, the team was found guilty of violating rules 14.5.6 (front bumper cover) and 14.1.2 (exhaust cover panel). Following the same, the sanctioning body issued a 60-point deduction in the championship driver and team owner points. However, the team went to the National Motorsports Appeals Panel with their case and got a reduced-point decision.

After reviewing the team's appeal, the panel ruled that only the front bumper cover violation was valid and discarded the exhaust cover penalty as it wasn't clear enough. This led to only a 30-point deduction, including the loss of five playoff points, a $75,000 fine, and a two-race crew chief suspension.

A similar case happened with Hendrick Motorsports during the 2023 season. The team was found guilty of illegally altering the louvers during the Phoenix Raceway weekend. Reflecting on the same, NASCAR slammed the team with a $100,000 fine, a 100-driver and owner point deduction, and ten playoff points.

The Appeal Panel found Hendrick Motorsports guilty of altering the body parts. However, the panel thought the penalties were too harsh for the team and rescinded the points penalty, allowing drivers to regain their spots in the standings. But all the other penalties stayed in place.

Reflecting on the same, a fan asked NASCAR analyst Bob Pockrass:

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"I thought through appeals they couldn’t lessen the penalty anymore it was just a guilty or not verdict? Isn’t this the same as what happened with the louvers and Hendrick?"

Porckrass elucidated the stock car racing fan:

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"No. What they can't do, if all they want to do is reduce the penalty, is to eliminate an element of it. So in this case, they couldn't wipe out a points, playoff points, suspension or fine completely if they only reduce the penalty."

After the penalty, Chris Buescher ranks 16th on the Cup Series points table with 274 points, becoming the first driver below the playoff cutline.

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NASCAR gave its take on Chris Buescher's penalty reduction

After the #17 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver Chris Buescher's penalty was reduced to 30 points from 60, the sanctioning body gave its take on the same.

"The panel concluded that NASCAR met its burden of proof regarding the reinforcement of the front bumper cover but did not meet it regarding the trimming of the exhaust panel cover. The rule book regarding the exhaust panel trimming lacked specificity on the amount trimmed or not trimmed. Accordingly, the Panel reduced the owner and driver points penalty from 60 to 30 points," stated NASCAR (via Motorsportswire.com)

As the season approaches the playoffs, no RFK driver has qualified for the same. The seven drivers to qualify for the playoffs include Kyle Larson, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Josh Berry, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, and Ross Chastain.