NASCAR has taken action against RFK Racing’s No. 17 team for a rule violation during the recent race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Nicholas Patterson, the jackman, and Jakob Prall, the front changer, have been suspended following an incident where the No. 17 Ford lost a wheel during the Cup Series race, won by Kyle Larson. Both crew members can return for the March 24 race at Circuit of the Americas.
The incident happened on Lap 27 of the Las Vegas race when the right front wheel detached from the No. 17 Ford while Chris Buescher was battling Martin Truex Jr. The loss of the wheel caused Buescher to collide with the outside wall in Turn 1.
A replay from Fox Sports captured the moment the nut came loose from the wheel before it separated from the car. If Buescher had continued in the race, he would have faced a two-lap penalty.
NASCAR had to halt the race with a red flag for 10 minutes and 39 seconds while track crews repaired the damaged section of the wall where Buescher’s car made contact.
Additionally, NASCAR issued penalties for Xfinity and Truck teams following the Las Vegas race. The crew chiefs of the No. 9 JR Motorsports and the No. 42 Young’s Motorsports (Xfinity) teams received $5,000 fines each for having one loose lug nut. The crew chief of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing team received a $2,500 fine for a similar infraction.
