After the postrace inspection at Pocono Raceway Friday night, Phil Gould, Ross Chastain’s crew chief, received some bad financial news. The No. 45 Niece Motorsports vehicle had a loose lug nut at the finish, and NASCAR will fine Gould $5,000.
Ross Chastain finished fifth in a race dominated by Corey Heim. Chastain and the others did their best to stay up with the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota. It was a hopeless attempt.
Unfortunately, the No. 45 was unable to leave Pocono without incurring a penalty. Not a big deal, but $5,000 isn’t cheap. Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports broke the story after NASCAR issued the ruling.
Ross Chastain and Niece Motorsports share a close friendship. He gets to spend time in their trucks and helps them improve their program, which benefits both sides. Chastain has won a few races, but he almost usually leads the 45.
Unfortunately, this isn’t Chastain’s only penalty at Pocono. His Cup Series team also encountered several issues during technical inspection.
That Melon Man seemed to be attempting to take advantage of any opportunity. Now, I joke that this happens frequently in NASCAR. Still, the Trackhouse No. 1 team will be shorthanded.
Ross Chastain and others were fined after an examination.
Ross Chastain, Todd Gilliland, and Daniel Hemric’s automobiles failed inspection twice. All three made it on their third attempt, which is a good sign. It gets really awful after three failures.
Each team has lost its car chief for the weekend as well as their pit stall choices. The only good news is that they will still be able to qualify today. If they can get a solid start on the track, they may be able to avoid their poor pit stall choices.
Ross Chastain finished in the top ten at New Hampshire, but has struggled in his last two races. He was in contention for the win in Nashville, but was wrecked late, resulting in a DNF and P33. He then laboured to a P22 finish on Chicago’s streets.
A successful run through the Tricky Triangle might go a long way. Chastain will have to try to avoid Denny Hamlin near the finish. In reality, everyone will have to strive to beat Hamlin, the two-time reigning victor of this race.
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