Richard Childress Racing and Rick Ware Racing both had crew members suspended this week for wheels that came off their race cars on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
Austin Dillon’s No. 3 team had Josh Sobecki (jackman) and Michael Johnson (rear tire changer) suspended from the next two races. The right rear wheel came off Dillon’s car on lap 42 of the NASCAR Cup Series race, sending him for a spin in Turn 3. Dillon finished last, 36th.
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The No. 51 team, which was working with Todd Gilliland at Texas, had Matthew Schlytter (jackman) and Coleman Dollarhide (rear tire changer suspended from the next two races. Gilliland lost a rear wheel going down the backstretch on lap 54. He finished 35th.
The next two Cup Series races are at Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 1) and the Charlotte Roval (Oct. 8).
It is an automatic two-race suspension when a wheel comes off on the racetrack. A safety violation, it is covered in section 8.8.10.4.C in the NASCAR Rule book, which refers to a “loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle during the event.”
There were also crew members suspended for the same infraction in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday. Jordan Anderson Racing’s No. 27 team had a wheel come off that resulted in the suspension of Justin Clapper (jackman) and Dakota Bonds (rear tire changer).
The Xfinity Series is back in action at the Charlotte Roval (Oct. 7) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 14).