NASCAR penalizes Erik Jones No. 43 team for modified parts at St. Louis
Erik Jones and the No. 43 team has been issued a major penalty by NASCAR that’ll sink them in the point standings.
On Wednesday, NASCAR announced Jones and his team have been issued an L1-level penalty for a modification to the greenhouse. The bill for their crimes is a loss of 60 points and five NASCAR Playoff points to the driver and the owner, the governing body announced.
Additionally, a press release revealed NASCAR also suspended crew chief Dave Elenz for the next two races, while fining him $75,000.
“NEWS: The No. 43 team has been issued an L1-level penalty for a modification to the greenhouse,” tweeted NASCAR. “The penalty is a loss of 60 points and five NASCAR Playoff points to the driver and owner.”
NASCAR provided some more context on why a team would modify their greenhouse in their press release, “the greenhouse is the top portion of the Cup Series car, including the roof, plus the front and rear glass — everything from the top of the doors upward,” wrote NASCAR. “Modifications to this area would be made by teams in an attempt to gain an aerodynamic edge.”
Additionally, Hendrick Motorsports was also penalized for the same offense earlier this season, when William Byron and Alex Bowman were docked points and fined for modifications.
Moreover, it’s a huge drop for Jones, who now moves to P30 in NASCAR’s standings, fighting for his life in NASCAR’s Playoffs. He was likely going to have to win his way in anyways, but now it’s become a statement of fact.
It’s been a tough season for Jones’ No. 43 team as a whole, as he’s accumulated zero Top 5 finishes and only two Top 10 finishes. They came into 2023 with some hype behind that, but that’s quickly dissipated.
Nevertheless, at least NASCAR is remaining consistent in their penalty decisions, even if Erik Jones and the No. 43 team won’t like it.