Kyle Larson Gets Penalty, Drops Into Second

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Published on July 13 2017 6:23 am
Last Updated on July 13 2017 6:23 am

By ESPN

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyle Larson dropped to second in the NASCAR Cup standings after NASCAR docked him 35 points and suspended crew chief Chad Johnston for three races after an illegal rear brake cooling assembly was found in Larson's second-place car from the race Saturday at Kentucky Speedway.

Larson had held a one-point lead on Martin Truex Jr. in the standings, but the penalty now puts him 34 points behind. The penalty could be big when it comes to the playoffs. The regular-season champion earns 15 extra playoff points, while the second-place finisher gets 10 extra playoff points when the points are reset in the each of the first three rounds of the postseason.

Chip Ganassi Racing will not appeal, a team spokesman said, and Johnston will serve his suspension at upcoming races at New Hampshire, Indianapolis and Pocono. No interim crew chief was immediately announced.

"We accept the penalty and will move forward," the team said in a statement.

NASCAR found the violation during its Tuesday inspection of select cars -- it always takes first-place and second-place cars among them -- at its technical center in North Carolina. It determined that Larson's car violated the rule that prohibits duct work or other devices to pass from one area of the interior of the vehicle to another or to the outside of the vehicle.

Manipulating the way the air flows underneath the car can impact how it handles through the turns. Larson twice nearly drove through the field Saturday night at Kentucky. He had started in the rear because his car didn't pass prequalifying technical inspection. He then returned to the rear for a speeding penalty on pit road. The only driver he couldn't catch at the end of the race was Truex, who earned his third victory of the season.

Truex's car passed the Tuesday inspection.

NASCAR did fine Kyle Busch crew chief Adam Stevens $10,000 for Busch's car having one unsecured lug nut following the race.

Jones Sad To Leave Behind No. 77

Erik Jones feels a little sad to leave what he built at Furniture Row Racing, but he knows the opportunity at Joe Gibbs Racing is one where he should thrive.

Jones was under contract with JGR last year when JGR permitted him to sign a one-year Cup deal with Furniture Row for 2017. While everyone knew, and many expected, it would be a one-and-done situation, Jones has performed so well -- he sits 14th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup standings halfway through his rookie year with a crew assembled in the offseason -- that it appeared maybe his best bet would be to stay.

JGR wouldn't let that happen as it opted not to renew the contract of Matt Kenseth for 2018 and announced Tuesday that Jones would replace Kenseth.

"We've come a long way since February [at Furniture Row] and built a good race team and we've been continuing to get better and better," Jones said in a phone interview Wednesday. "Obviously, part of you feels like you built those good relationships and made some friendships over there -- so part of you is sad to leave that behind.

"But the opportunity at JGR is a really good one and one that I feel like really fits. It's just kind of what the plan was and we're seeing it all work out."

Jones, 21, tries not to look too far ahead, letting things work out as long as he performs. Less than five years ago, he didn't have any long-term plans, and frankly couldn't imagine driving for JGR in a Cup car when he held off Kyle Busch to win the 2012 Snowball Derby late model race. But that win catapulted him into NASCAR prospect status, and he has proved himself the rest of the way, winning the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title for Busch and being one of the four finalists for the 2016 Xfinity Series title driving for JGR.

"I was hoping I was going to have an opportunity in the truck series for just a couple of starts at that time," Jones said. "I guess I never looked that far ahead at that point."

Jones doesn't know who will crew chief his 2018 Cup car, and sponsors for him weren't announced Tuesday, four days after Kenseth said he didn't believe returning to JGR would be an option for him in 2018. Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion, sits 11th in the Cup standings, and is the driver Jones needs to currently catch (he's 52 points behind) to make the playoffs on points.

Kenseth conceivably could go into the Furniture Row car vacated by Jones, although that likely would have been already announced if there was sponsorship for Kenseth. Furniture Row owner Barney Visser said Saturday that he didn't have anything concrete for 2018 to make it financially feasible for him to field a second car again next season.

Jones isn't worried about comparisons to Kenseth.

"We've talked through that and worked through that, I don't think there'd be any kind of [awkward] feeling," Jones said.

As far as feeling comfortable, Jones said having the ability to hang out with the team in the shop could make him feel more comfortable racing for JGR.

"Furniture Row, being out in Denver [Colorado], I don't get to spend a lot of time out there, spend a lot of time with the guys," Jones said. "So I'm just excited to be able to be back in the shop again and be back with the guys and be able to see them during the week.

"That's something I always enjoyed doing -- being close to the guys. ...When you can see the driver putting in the effort, hanging out in the shop and spending time with everybody, it continues to build that camaraderie and makes everybody want to work that much harder."