If there was a time for Ty Majeski to receive a points penalty, entering the final race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs’ Round of 10 is a good one. On Tuesday, NASCAR announced Majeski and the #98 ThorSport Racing team have received an L2-level penalty for a right rear tyre infraction discovered prior to last Sunday’s race at the Milwaukee Mile.
Specifically, the tyre was found to have violated Section 14.16.A of the rulebook along with the A and C clauses of Section 14.16.1, the former concerning wheels and tyres while the latter discusses the wheel assembly. Section 14.16.1.A states that “[o]nly NASCAR-approved wheels, listed in the NASCAR Parts Database, will be permitted”, while Section 14.16.1.C mentions that “[e]xisting approved wheels in the NASCAR Parts Database that meet or exceed SFI 35.2 can be used for the entire five year life. New Wheels must have an SFI 35.2 punch date sticker.”
Majeski was ordered to the rear of the field for the race, where he finished seventh. With the penalty, he and the #98 respectively lose seventy-five points in the driver’s and owner’s championships, along with five playoff points. The points deduction does not impact his playoff position as he is already locked into the Round of 8 via his win at IRP to begin the postseason, but would hurt him in the final standings if he fails to make the Championship Round as his points total would revert to what he earned in the regular season plus two thousand.
Still, perhaps the more costly part of the penalty lies in losing his crew chief Joe Shear for the next four races. He will return for the final Round of 8 race at Homestead.
The #98 is not the only team to lose points after Milwaukee. Kyle Busch Motorsports‘ #51, driven by Matt Mills, was also docked ten points for a filler panel violation.
