Auto Club Penalties Announced

Later than normal NASCAR handed out penalties from last weekend's race in Southern California at the Auto Club Speedway. A very interesting race, as normal, had many moves and expressions that led two of NASCAR's biggest stars in the Dog House with NASCAR. Kyle Busch and Danica Patrick are the leading drivers in this weekend's penalties as we head into the first off weekend of the 2016 Season. Other drivers which will be noted below received warnings or fines after failing inspections and those will also be noted below.

Major Penalties from Auto Club

• 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch was fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Championship Points Races through April 27 for his actions following the XFINITY race. He violated section 10.4.2.i -"The second and third place drivers must report to the media center for post-race interviews upon the conclusion of the Race unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR"
• Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 TaxAct Chevrolet SS, has been fined $20,000 and placed on NASCAR probation through the completion of the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Points Races. She violated section 10.4.2.1.a "At no time should a driver or crew member(s) approach any portion of the racing surface or apron. At no time should a driver or crew member(s) approach another moving vehicle."  

Minor Penalties from Auto Club

In addition to the fines for Busch and Patrick, NASCAR also issued warnings to six Sprint Cup Series teams for inspection issues at Auto Club.

• Warnings, with season totals in parenthesis, were given to the following teams for failing the Laser Inspection Station twice during pre-qualifying inspection: Richard Childress Racing No. 3 with driver Austin Dillon (1); Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 with driver Matt Kenseth (1); Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 with driver Ryan Blaney (1); and Richard Childress Racing No. 27 with driver Paul Menard (1).
• The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 with driver Carl Edwards (2) failed the LIS twice during pre-race inspection.
• The No. 20 team also received a warning, its second, for failing template inspection twice during pre-qualifying.
• The Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing No. 95 with driver Michael McDowell was given a warning for a truck trailing arm that did not meet specifications. The issue was discovered during initial inspection on Friday.

Vehicles failing either pre-qualifying or pre-race inspection twice receive a written warning. A third failure results in the loss of 15 minutes of practice as well. Any team receiving four warnings forfeits its opportunity for pit stall selection, either at that event if pit selection hasn't taken place or at the next event if pit stall selection has been completed. Once a team has forfeited its pit selection, its total is reset to zero.