NASCAR has announced suspensions for two crew members from Rick Ware Racing due to infractions at Sonoma Raceway.
According to the weekly penalty report, rear tire changer Marquill Osborne and jackman De'Quan Hampton have both received two-race suspensions. The reason is that the No. 51 Ford Mustang of Cody Ware lost a wheel in last weekend's race, which Shane van Gisbergen won.
The No. 51 Ford lost its right rear wheel on Lap 96 of the Cup Series race. The lug nut first detached and then the wheel came off of the Cup Series car in Turn 3A. It rolled on the track as other cars narrowly avoided collisions and then it bounced through the grass.
This lost wheel was a violation of Section 8.8.10.4.C (Tires and Wheels) of the NASCAR Rule Book. Since the tire detached on the track, NASCAR officials also held Ware for two laps. He finished 34th after the lost wheel and the penalty.
The two crew members will miss this weekend's trip to Dover Motor Speedway and the following weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They will be eligible to return for the trip to Iowa Speedway which kicks off the month of August.
According to Motorsports Reference co-founder Seth Eggert, this is the 51st time that a Gen 7 car has lost a wheel since the 2022 season.
Fourteen of these detached wheels were in 2022, the first year featuring single-lug wheels. This initial year of the Gen 7 car featured crew chiefs and crew members receiving four-race suspensions for each lost wheel.
Crew members have gained more experience with the Gen 7 pit stops, but they have still struggled with lost wheels. As a result, numerous crew members have received suspensions. Although crew chiefs have avoided suspensions since NASCAR changed the penalties in 2023.
The penalty report also included fines for three Xfinity Series teams. The No. 21 of Richard Childress Racing, the No. 26 of Sam Hunt Racing, and the No. 44 of Alpha Prime Racing all had improperly installed lug nuts in post-race inspection. This infraction drew a $5,000 fine for each team.