Kevin Harvick’s crew chief Rodney Childers was not happy about NASCAR’s penalty against Cole Custer and made his frustration known.
Rodney Childers via Stewart-Haas Racing YouTube
Custer appeared to brake early going into the chicane blocking both Austin Dillon and Erik Jones as his teammate Chase Briscoe dove to the inside and passed all of them on his way to a ninth place finish and a spot in the Round of 8.
Custer was penalized by NASCAR for violating Section 5.5 of the NASCAR Rule Book. That section states, “NASCAR requires its Competitor(s) to race at 100% of their ability with the goal of achieving their best possible finishing position in the Event.”
It adds, “Any Competitor(s) who takes action with the intent to Artificially Alter the finishing positions of the Event of encourages, persuades or induces others to Artificially Alter the finishing positions of the Event shall be subject to a penalty from NASCAR, as specified in Section 10 Violations and Disciplinary Action.”
The section concludes, “‘Artificially Alter’ shall be defined as actions by any Competitor(s) that show or suggest that the Competitor(s) did not race at 100% of their ability for the purpose of changing finishing positions in the Event, in NASCAR’s sole discretion.”
Bob Pockrass Twitter
Specifically, NASCAR fined Custer and his crew chief Michael Shiplett $100,000 each. Custer and his No. 41 team were also docked 50 points in both the driver and owner standings. Shiplett was also indefinitely suspended.
NASCAR’s Steve Miller explained the punishment, “When we got to the audio, and had the crew chief telling the driver that, ‘I think you got a flat (tire). Check up, check up, check up,’ when he couldn’t even see the car or have any idea whatsoever that the car might have a flat, obviously pretty telling as to what went on there.”
Cole Custer, Austin Dillon, and Chase Briscoe via NASCAR YouTube
He added, “That coupled with the data and the video and all the rest of the things that we looked into, well, that was the bulk of the things … nothing contradicted the fact that was done deliberately by those individuals, so we were certainly forced to react, and you saw their reaction today.”
Miller continued to explain, “We can’t have teams manipulating the finishing order. Certainly on super high alert for the playoffs, and had this been the determining factor in the 14 making it into the Round of 8 or not, our reaction certainly would have been bigger.”
Childers reacted to NASCAR’s ruling writing on Twitter, “Now officially ok for a teammate to manipulate the championship race at Phoenix as long as no one says anything on the radio..”
He added, “Even if there is live SMT data showing a guy running half throttle on the straights and jamming the brakes getting in each corner.. Got It.”
Rodney Childers Twitter
What do you make of Childers’ reaction? What do you think about NASCAR’s penalty to Custer?