NASCAR lug nuts: Rules tweak mandates five lug nuts
Rules update: NASCAR reinforces five lug nuts
April 25, two thousand sixteen at 05.30 PM
NASCAR teams hoping to trim time off pit stops by substituting only four lug nuts on wheels will now face penalties from the sanctioning bod, according to a memo sent to organizations Monday.
The memo states that all tires, wheels and all five lug nuts “must be installed in a safe and secure manner at all times during the event.”
Failure to conform can result in penalties ranging from a written warning for pre-race violations (wheels not having five lug nuts glued in place) to a minimum $20,000 fine, one-race suspension and probation for the responsible squad chief if a post-race inspection turns up a car that does not have five lug nuts in place on each wheel.
If found during pre-race, the infraction is considered an unapproved adjustment, and the violator will be required to correct the issue and drop to the rear of the field before the begin of the event.
Numerous offenses for infractions will result in escalating penalties.
NASCAR stopped policing how many lug nuts teams were installing during pit stops after the two thousand fourteen season. In 2015, the sanctioning figure debuted its Pit Road Officiating (PRO) system that utilizes cameras to regulate pit road.
According to Monday’s memo, updated methods for officiating the fresh rules will be introduced at a later date. “That process will proceed to evolve over time and we will provide further updates as that model progresses.”
By tightening, or in some cases installing, only four lug nuts on each wheel, teams have often gained an advantage during pit stops. But the practice has led to a rise in the number of liberate wheels this season, often sending a driver back to pit road to correct the problem.
While at least one NASCAR team chief has noted that there have been occasions when a car would end the race with fewer than five lug nuts in place, NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France said Monday that the inspection process would be no different than it has been for other areas of the vehicles that are examined each week.
“When things are altered we have to deal with that,” France said during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “There’s no difference in that. . Truly what you’re hearing is just how close and taut competition is across the board. And that’s why the squad chiefs, and rightfully so, are worried about every millisecond; they don’t want to get one of these . penalties and understandably so. They’re attempting to get it right and we’re attempting to get it right.
“And by the way, we will. We have for sixty years and we will always sort it out, especially when it comes to safety. We will get to the right place as quick as we can. That’s Job one for us.”
Last week, three-time premier series champ Tony Stewart voiced concerns that the safety of competitors was being overlooked by not mandating all five lug nuts be decently installed on wheels. A day later, when Stewart announced he would come back to competition after missing the season’s very first eight races, NASCAR announced it had fined the co-owner/driver $35,000.
“It wasn’t (a case of) telling they’re not doing their job,” Stewart told FOX Sports during Sunday’s pre-race demonstrate. “I just felt like this is one thing they dropped the ball on. So, they’re doing a good job. They’re looking at it. They’re going to address it and make it right, and down the road we won’t have to worry about this again, hopefully.”
France said Stewart is “very aware of how we treatment criticism . of the sport and the product of the racing itself, and safety is paramount of that. Tony is very aware of how we look at that. We permit them to criticize and give their point of view way more than any other sport. . We’re thick-skinned; we get it.
“It’s when you go into the area of denigrating the racing product. That’s all we have in NASCAR, the highest quality of competition. When you commence working against that in any way, we’re going to have to deal with that. And everybody understands that.”
NASCAR lug nuts: Rules tweak mandates five lug nuts
Rules update: NASCAR reinforces five lug nuts
April 25, two thousand sixteen at 05.30 PM
NASCAR teams hoping to trim time off pit stops by substituting only four lug nuts on wheels will now face penalties from the sanctioning figure, according to a memo sent to organizations Monday.
The memo states that all tires, wheels and all five lug nuts “must be installed in a safe and secure manner at all times during the event.”
Failure to conform can result in penalties ranging from a written warning for pre-race violations (wheels not having five lug nuts glued in place) to a minimum $20,000 fine, one-race suspension and probation for the responsible team chief if a post-race inspection turns up a car that does not have five lug nuts in place on each wheel.
If found during pre-race, the infraction is considered an unapproved adjustment, and the violator will be required to correct the issue and drop to the rear of the field before the embark of the event.
Numerous offenses for infractions will result in escalating penalties.
NASCAR stopped policing how many lug nuts teams were installing during pit stops after the two thousand fourteen season. In 2015, the sanctioning figure debuted its Pit Road Officiating (PRO) system that utilizes cameras to regulate pit road.
According to Monday’s memo, updated methods for officiating the fresh rules will be introduced at a later date. “That process will proceed to evolve over time and we will provide further updates as that model progresses.”
By tightening, or in some cases installing, only four lug nuts on each wheel, teams have often gained an advantage during pit stops. But the practice has led to a rise in the number of liberate wheels this season, often sending a driver back to pit road to correct the problem.
While at least one NASCAR team chief has noted that there have been occasions when a car would end the race with fewer than five lug nuts in place, NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France said Monday that the inspection process would be no different than it has been for other areas of the vehicles that are examined each week.
“When things are altered we have to deal with that,” France said during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “There’s no difference in that. . Truly what you’re hearing is just how close and taut competition is across the board. And that’s why the squad chiefs, and rightfully so, are worried about every millisecond; they don’t want to get one of these . penalties and understandably so. They’re attempting to get it right and we’re attempting to get it right.
“And by the way, we will. We have for sixty years and we will always sort it out, especially when it comes to safety. We will get to the right place as quick as we can. That’s Job one for us.”
Last week, three-time premier series champ Tony Stewart voiced concerns that the safety of competitors was being overlooked by not mandating all five lug nuts be decently installed on wheels. A day later, when Stewart announced he would comeback to competition after missing the season’s very first eight races, NASCAR announced it had fined the co-owner/driver $35,000.
“It wasn’t (a case of) telling they’re not doing their job,” Stewart told FOX Sports during Sunday’s pre-race demonstrate. “I just felt like this is one thing they dropped the ball on. So, they’re doing a good job. They’re looking at it. They’re going to address it and make it right, and down the road we won’t have to worry about this again, hopefully.”
France said Stewart is “very aware of how we treatment criticism . of the sport and the product of the racing itself, and safety is paramount of that. Tony is very aware of how we look at that. We permit them to criticize and give their point of view way more than any other sport. . We’re thick-skinned; we get it.
“It’s when you go into the area of denigrating the racing product. That’s all we have in NASCAR, the highest quality of competition. When you embark working against that in any way, we’re going to have to deal with that. And everybody understands that.”
