NASCAR rule book update outlines OEM penalties

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Today at 08:44 AM

NASCAR has added a section to its rule book outlining the penalty options that could be imposed on a manufacturer for rules violations.

The ability to penalize OEMs was officially added to the rule book last month. That move was in response to the race manipulation that occurred among Chevrolet and Toyota drivers last fall at Martinsville Speedway. The controversy left NASCAR having to review the finish for nearly 30 minutes as teams stood on pit road to determine which driver made the Championship 4.

The new section is 10.5.2.8 and is titled "OEM penalties." It states NASCAR reserves the right to penalize the OEMs or its representatives accordingly. It goes on to say that the examples provided are "illustrative and not exhaustive," offering clarity on the types and ranges of violations that might result in NASCAR action.

OEM penalties may include, but are not limited to:

Violations of the wind tunnel testing policy Violations of engine rules with respect to submitted parts Violations of restricted CFD (computational fluid dynamics) policy Violations of the vehicle testing policy Violations of the body submission process Violation of the performance obligation

In its previous rule book addition, NASCAR stated that the penalty options included point deductions, loss of wind tunnel hours, loss of RCFD runs and loss of vehicle testing. Wednesday's rules bulletin further outlined those penalties.

The points deduction could range from 25 to 50. The loss of wind tunnel hours ranges from 30 to 60. The loss of RCFD tests runs ranges from 250 to 500, and the loss of vehicle tests ranges from two to four.

Additionally, the performance obligation refers to Section 5.5. which states, "Any Member who attempts to improperly influence the outcome of the Event or encourages, persuades or induces others to do so shall be subject to penalties, as outlined in Section 10 Violations and Disciplinary Action. Prohibited actions include, but are not limited to, intentional planning or conduct that prioritizes objectives other than achieving the best possible competitive result for their team."