NASCAR: Appeals panel slightly reduces Kaulig points penalty days after Hendrick's penalty was rescinded
Kaulig and Hendrick were penalized for similar infractions, but their appeals returned different results
Unlike Hendrick Motorsports, Kaulig Racing didn’t get its points penalty overturned.
On Wednesday, an appeals panel reduced Kaulig’s NASCAR penalty to 75 points a week after a different appeals panel eliminated the points penalty against Hendrick Motorsports for a similar infraction.
Like Hendrick, Kaulig had the louvers on the hood of its No. 31 car confiscated by NASCAR at Phoenix in March. Also like Hendrick, Kaulig was penalized 100 regular-season points, docked 10 playoff points and fined $100,000, and crew chief Trent Owens was suspended for four races.
A week ago, an appeals panel rescinded the points penalties against all four Hendrick cars but kept the fines and crew chief suspensions in place. On Wednesday, a different appeals panel kept the 10-point playoff penalty and reduced the regular-season points penalty by only 25%. It also kept Owens’ suspension and the fine in place.
It’s unclear why Hendrick’s points penalties were overturned and Kaulig’s weren’t. That’s because of the secrecy that comes with NASCAR’s penalty process. We know the penalties had to do with the louvers on the cars and that both teams pointed to inconsistency from NASCAR’s approved parts vendor as the reason.
Other than that, we don’t know the key differences in the cases that might've led one panel to rule the way it did for Hendrick and the other the way it did for Kaulig. National Motorsports Appeal Panels are made up of a rotating cast of three members from the group's roster of appointees.
The two cases are a great example of the need for more transparency in NASCAR's penalty and appeals process. The sanctioning body could — and should — clearly define each and every transgression worthy of a points penalty like a publicly available indictment in the court of law. If a team appeals, its appeal should also be publicly available, as should the judgment of the appeals panel with its underlying reasoning.
That would help both teams and fans have greater understanding of NASCAR and its rules. Right now, it’s extremely difficult to explain the seeming inconsistency between the two penalties.
