Another week, another inspection issue for the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team of Martin Truex Jr.
After problems getting through the inspection line at the first three events of the Sprint Cup season, it was more of the same this past weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. NASCAR handed the Denver, Colorado-based team a written warning Wednesday afternoon for failing NASCAR’s Laser Inspection System twice in pre-race inspection at PIR.
Truex competed at Phoenix without crew chief Cole Pearn, who was serving a one-race suspension for a roof-flap violation at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Week Two. Pearn will return to his post this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in California.
Also given warnings by NASCAR on Wednesday were the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing team of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports team of Landon Cassill.
Cassill’s car failed template inspection twice before qualifying at Phoenix; Stenhouse’s car flunked the Laser Inspection System three times in pre-race. In addition to the warning, Stenhouse will lose 15 minutes of practice time this weekend in Fontana.
Meanwhile, over in the XFINITY Series, Christopher Gabehart — the crew chief for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones — was fined $5,000 and the team was issued a P2 penalty for failing postrace rear toe inspection at Phoenix. The No. 21 XFINITY team of Spencer Gallagher was given a written warning and docked 15 minutes of practice time for failing the Laser Inspection System three times in pre-race at Phoenix.
