NASCAR slapped fines on two Xfinity Series teams after the Atlanta race for safety rule violations.
The Haas Factory Team No. 00 and Big Machine Racing No. 48 both got caught with improperly installed lug nuts, which led to a $5,000 fine for each team. The issue, found during post-race inspections, fell under Section 8.8.10.4a of the NASCAR Rule Book.
NASCAR stated: “Both cars were found to have at least one lug nut not properly installed, which is a safety violation noted in Section 8.8.10.4a in the NASCAR Rule Book. The teams were each fined $5,000.”
Big Machine Racing’s No. 48 is driven by Nick Sanchez, who managed to snag his first-ever top-five finish in the Xfinity Series in Atlanta, overcoming some early damage to his car.
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Meanwhile, Sheldon Creed, driving the Haas Factory Team No. 00 Ford, ended the race in the 14th position. The Haas Factory Team was formed after Stewart-Haas Racing, co-owned by Gene Haas and former NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, decided to close down at the end of 2024.
Despite the penalty, Creed is currently in second position in the Xfinity championship standings. Whereas, Sanchez is in fifteenth.
This comes ahead of this weekend’s race at the iconic Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 is set to take place on Saturday 1st March at 2.30 p.m. ET. Fans who want to follow the action live can watch on CW, PRN, and SiriusXM.
For the latest NASCAR news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Current Standings
- Austin Hill – 84 points
- Sheldon Creed – 83 points
- Jesse Love – 78 points
- Justin Allgaier – 76 points
- Jeb Burton – 66 points
- Harrison Burton – 61 points
- Jeremy Clements – 55 points
- Sam Mayer – 53 points
- Carson Kvapil – 53 points
- Matt DiBenedetto – 51 points
- Sammy Smith – 50 points
- Leland Honeyman – 50 points
- Taylor Gray – 45 points
- Ryan Sieg – 44 points
- Nicholas Sanchez – 42 points
- Dean Thompson – 40 points
- William Sawalich – 40 points
- Aric Almirola – 39 points
- Josh Williams – 39 points
- Christian Eckes – 38 points
- Joey Gase – 38 points
- Ryan Ellis – 33 points
- Daniel Dye – 31 points
- Jordan Anderson – 30 points
- Josh Bilicki – 30 points
- Patrick Emerling – 27 points
- Brennan Poole – 27 points
- Brandon Jones – 25 points
- Caesar Bacarella – 24 points
- Anthony Alfredo – 24 points
- Blaine Perkins – 21 points
- Connor Zilisch – 21 points
- Ryan Truex – 20 points
- Garrett Smithley – 19 points
- Parker Retzlaff – 18 points
- Kris Wright – 16 points
- Nick Leitz – 15 points
- Justin Bonsignore – 12 points
- CJ McLaughlin – 12 points
- Greg Van Alst – 11 points
- Mason Massey – 9 points
- Mason Maggio – 6 points
- Carson Ware – 5 points
- Kyle Sieg – 5 points
