NASCAR displays counterfeit part from Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing at Sonoma Raceway
Now that NASCAR has had time since the penalty against Chase Briscoe and Stewart-Haas Racing, they are showing the counterfeit part. The part in question is from the engine panel. It appears that Stewart-Haas Racing 3-D printed a duct for the panel and somehow, someway, it ended up on the No. 14 Ford Mustang.
The real part that NASCAR provides teams is 3-D printed and then sold to teams. This duct in question helps to relieve heat from the engine and helps keep the driver a little bit cooler while racing. However, the SHR piece was different.
Not only were the 3-D print markings different, but the counterfeit part also did not line up with another piece that slots into the duct. A gauge that looks like it regulates airflow in the duct did not fit in the fake part. NASCAR was able to tell it was counterfeit by the markings as well as the opening on the duct.
NASCAR is taking this very seriously. While this could have been a mistake for the Chase Briscoe team, the punishment is the same. Check out the full explanation below from Jeff Gluck of The Athletic.
The part was on the No. 14 Ford Mustang for the Coca-Cola 600. At least, that is the last race it was on the car. NASCAR pulled Chase Briscoe’s Ford to take to the Research & Development Center. You can tell just how detailed the breakdown of the car is. This is a small part, it looks like it belongs. Unless you know what to look for.
Chase Briscoe was relieved punishment wasn’t worse
When your team gets hit with a $250,000 fine, you lose 120 points and 25 playoff points – you aren’t happy about it. Given the fact that the L3 penalty could have been $500k, 180 points, and 50 playoff points – Briscoe got off clean.
There is also a part of the L3 penalty that makes it possible for NASCAR to take playoff eligibility away from a driver and team. Briscoe can still make the playoffs with a win this season, so he is feeling lucky.
“It was frustrating but at the same time, it is what it is,” Briscoe said of the penalty at Gateway, via Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. “We can’t change it. Obviously, the penalty was justified. I don’t think that I can sit here and be mad about it or anything like that, it is what it is. Just gotta go on and try to make the most out of this season. The penalty could have been a lot worse. They could have totally taken our playoff eligibility and everything away. So, we still have 11 weeks to try to win a race and that’s what we’ll do.”
However that counterfeit part ended up on that Mustang, I bet the SHR team doesn’t repeat that mistake. There are many reasons why a team would make their own parts, but you have to make sure they don’t go on the real car. Lesson learned.