Two NASCAR Team Members Suspended After C…read more
Two crew members from Richard Childress Racing (RCR) have been suspended following an incident during the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The mishap occurred with Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which was released from its pit stall without the left-front tire properly secured. As the car took off, the tire detached, prompting a caution flag.
As a result of the incident, NASCAR has suspended front tire changer Joshua Thomas and jackman Nicholas Covey for the next two points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series. They will miss the events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 20 and Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 7 but are expected to return for the Martinsville Speedway race, the penultimate event of the season.
In their absence, RCR has named replacements to fill the gap. Michael Johnson, a part-time Cup Series crew member with experience from RCR, Kaulig Racing, and Team AmeriVet, will serve as the interim front tire changer. Garrett Crall, who has worked with both the No. 3 and No. 8 teams at RCR and the No. 13 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, will step in as the jackman.
Meanwhile, Alex Bowman from Hendrick Motorsports was disqualified after the post-race inspections due to his car being underweight. The disqualification led to Bowman losing his spot in the playoffs, with Joey Logano taking his place. Hendrick Motorsports opted not to appeal the ruling.
The NASCAR Cup Series standings remain competitive as the playoffs continue. Kyle Larson leads with 4052 points, followed closely by Christopher Bell with 4032 points, and Tyler Reddick in third with 4029 points. William Byron, Ryan Blaney, and Denny Hamlin are also in the hunt, with all six drivers closely bunched at the top of the leaderboard.
As the season heads towards its conclusion, teams and drivers will be battling for every point in the remaining races at Las Vegas, Homestead, and Martinsville before the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway. The suspension of Thomas and Covey presents a challenge for RCR, but the team is hoping their replacements will ensure a smooth transition for Dillon and his No. 3 crew during these crucial upco
ming races.
