Hamlin, Gibbs penalized for engine infraction

NASCAR has assessed the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team an L2-level penalty for violating engine rules following the team’s victory in the Food City 500 at Bristol on March 17.

Denny Hamlin has been docked 75 points from the NASCAR Cup Series drivers’ championship and Gibbs docked 75 points from the Cup Series owners’ championship. The team was also docked 10 playoff points. Additionally, Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, has been fined $100,000.

NASCAR cited sections 14.7.1.E&F and 14.7.1.1.B&E from the rule book.

“Each race-winning engine must be inspected by NASCAR once the race team determines that its life cycle is complete,” a NASCAR statement read. “In this instance, prior to presenting the engine to NASCAR for inspection, Toyota Racing Development disassembled and rebuilt the No. 11’s Bristol-winning race engine. Per the NASCAR Rule Book, this violation results in an L2 penalty to the race team and driver.

“Toyota Racing Development self-reported this violation.”

The penalty negates the victory counting toward the postseason as well as advancing in the playoffs. However, Hamlin is still locked into the playoffs with two other victories.

The penalty dropped Hamlin from third in the Cup Series championship standings, where he was 28 points out of the lead, to sixth place. He is now 103 points behind the leader.

“As the engine builder for our partner NASCAR Cup Series teams, TRD is solely responsible for the handling and disposition of all our engines pre- and post-race,” TRD president David Wilson said in a statement. “Despite procedures being in place, Denny’s race-winning engine from Bristol was mistakenly returned to our Costa Mesa facility, disassembled and rebuilt instead of being torn down and inspected by NASCAR per the rulebook. Although we know with absolute certainty that the engine was legal and would have passed inspection, we left NASCAR in an impossible position because they were not given the opportunity to properly inspect our engine.