DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Rodney Childers, crew chief for Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford has been fined $100,000 and suspended from the next four NASCAR Cup Series races.
The L2-level penalties were levied by NASCAR officials on Wednesday because of unapproved modification of a single-source part.
The infraction falls under the heading of Sections 14.1 (vehicle assembly) and 14.5 (body).
In addition to the penalties to Childers, Harvick was assessed a 100-point penalty and Stewart-Haas received a 100-point owner’s penalty.
Harvick finished 29th Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, but his car was among those taken to the NASCAR Research & Development Center for further inspection.
Childers, who just celebrated his 600th Cup Series start at Talladega, would be eligible to return for the Nov. 6 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
A behavioral penalty was also handed down in another NASCAR national series.
Competition officials indefinitely suspended Andrew Abbott, crew chief for the No. 20 Young’s Motorsports team in the Camping World Truck Series, for violating the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct (Sections 4.3.A and 4.4). Officials indicated that “completion of NASCAR-mandated anger management training is a pre-requisite to reinstatement.”