Johnston latest on list of suspended crew chiefs – Nascar

RELATED: No. 42 team hit with P3 penalty

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Philip Surgen, lead engineer for the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team and driver Kyle Larson in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, will serve as interim crew chief for the team this weekend here at Michigan International Speedway.

Chad Johnston, crew chief for the No. 42 team, was suspended through June 15 (one race) and fined $20,000 for a lug nut violation following last Sunday’s Axalta ‘We Paint Winners’ 400 at Pocono Raceway.

He is the fourth Sprint Cup Series crew chief to be fined and suspended for a lug nut issue this season. Tony Gibson (Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41) and Randall Burnett (JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47) missed last weekend’s race while serving a one-race suspension. Adam Stevens (Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18) was suspended for last month’s race at Dover International Speedway.

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Chevrolet, won last week’s race with lead engineer John Klausmeier serving as interim crew chief.

NASCAR stopped checking the installation of lug nuts going into the 2015 season when it debuted its PRO (Pit Road Officiating) unit, which utilizes cameras and officials to monitor pit road activities.

But in the wake of that move, teams began installing four or fewer lug nuts during stops to decrease the amount of time spent on pit road. After some drivers voiced concerns earlier this year, most notably three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, NASCAR officials announced a change in policy.

In April, officials informed teams that going forward, all tires, wheels and lug nuts “must be installed in a safe and secure manner at all times during the event.”

If a team is found in violation of the policy after the completion of a race, penalties are a minimum $20,000 fine and one-race suspension for the crew chief.

If discovered during pre-race, the infraction is considered an unapproved adjustment, the issue must be corrected and the driver will drop to the rear of the field before the start of the event.

Multiple offenses may result in an escalation of those penalties.

• The No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with driver Austin Dillon is also minus crew chief Slugger Labbe Friday and Saturday at Michigan.

Labbe, who is arriving late due to his daughter’s graduation, is scheduled to be on top of the team’s pit box Sunday.

Until then, the team is being led by engineer Seth Chavka and car chief Greg Osborne.

• The No. 16 Roush Racing Ford with driver Greg Biffle will be operating with Robbie Reiser as a substitute crew chief. Regular crew chief Brian Pattie was fined $50,000 and suspended for two races following a P3 penalty coming out of the Charlotte race. 

This is the second of two races Pattie was required to sit out after NASCAR inspectors found multiple infractions, including a body design that was either not submitted for NASCAR approval or did not comply with approved body designs, for the Coca-Cola 600.

MORE: At-track images from Michigan