NASCAR suspends Gibbs, Kaulig team members for Dover wheel nut violations

Three NASCAR crew chiefs, including two from the Cup Series, have been suspended from competition because of wheels coming off their cars over the weekend at Dover Motor Speedway.

In the Cup Series, it was Chris Gabehart of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 team with Denny Hamlin and Matt Swiderski of Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 team with AJ Allmendinger. Both will miss the next four races at Darlington Raceway, Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway (All-Star Race), and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Additionally, the jackman and tire changer from each team was also suspended from the next four races. Those are Darrell Edwards and Blake Houston of Gibbs and Keiston France and Jonathan Willard of Kaulig.

Hamlin lost the left front wheel from his Toyota while leaving pit road. He was leading at the Duramax Drydene 400 time. Allmendinger lost the right front wheel from his Chevrolet.

Taylor Moyer, crew chief for Sam Mayer at JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series has been suspended from the next four Xfinity Series races for a wheel coming off the No. 1 Chevrolet in the Saturday race. Crew members Orane Ossowski and Markus Pierce-Brewster have also been suspended.

Bruce Schlicker of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing team was fined $5,000 for having one lug nut secure on Allmendinger’s car after Saturday’s event.