Matt Kenseth has been parked the next two races.
The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is suspended from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action for this week’s race at Texas Motor Speedway and next week’s race at Phoenix International Raceway. He’ll also be on probation for the next six months upon his return to NASCAR competition.
This all stems from his role in the crash that took out race leader Joey Logano with 47 laps remaining in last Sunday’s Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
NASCAR Executive Vice-President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said that the combination of Kenseth being nine laps down and Logano leading the race at the time of the incident factored heavily on the decision to suspend Kenseth. “In our minds, that’s a little bit different than two drivers really going after it coming out of Turn 4 for a win versus what happened tonight,” O’Donnell said following the race Sunday.
Joe Gibbs Racing issued the following statement announcing that they’ll appeal the penalty.
JGR Statement Regarding Today's Ruling By NASCAR:
… Matt Kenseth will appeal the penalty issued by NASCAR… pic.twitter.com/FFDcxGJwcr
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) November 3, 2015
Danica Patrick was also penalized for attempting to take out driver David Gilliland during Sunday’s race. She was fined $50,000, docked 25 points and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.
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