Front Row Motorsports receives hefty penalty following Pocono

Front Row Motorsports received a massive penalty following last weekend’s race at Pocono, according to NASCAR.com. The No. 34 team has been penalized 100 points in both driver (Michael McDowell) and owner points, with the crew chief Blake Harris receiving a $100,000 fine and a four-race suspension.

The race at Pocono ended in chaos as both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified after finishing first and second overall. They each failed a post-race technical inspection. McDowell’s No. 34 car and the No. 47 that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove were randomly selected to be taken back to the NASCAR R&D Center for further inspection. Think of it like a player having a good game and then getting randomly drug tested afterward. Well, the No. 34 tested positive in that example.

It was an L2-level penalty handed down to the race team, and it was something having to do with “the body and overall vehicle assembly rules surrounding modification of a single source supplied part,” according to the released statement.

In addition to all of the other penalties, if Michael McDowell and the team happen to win one of the five remaining races or if they end up qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, they will be docked an additional 10 playoff points. McDowell had finished sixth at Pocono, which was his second-best finish of the season.