NASCAR confiscated the rear deck lid from the #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday. After the race weekend, which culminated in Sunday's running of the Geico 500, Dillon was docked 10 driver points and his team 10 owner points. As a result, Dillon dropped from 13th to 14th in the regular-season points standings.
NASCAR officials detected body filler on the deck lid. Body filler use on most of a Cup Series car body, including the deck lid area is prohibited by NASCAR rules. Other penalties resulting from the rules infraction included a $25,000 fine for crew chief Danny Stockman Jr. and a one-race suspension for car chief Gregory Ebert.
In its penalty announcement, NASCAR cited violations of sections 20.4 Body, 20.4.22 Deck Lid and 20.20 Assembled Vehicles Overall Rules of the 2019 rule book and noted, “Deck lid must be used as supplied from he manufacturer. Body filler added to deck lid."
Richard Childress Racing has confirmed it will not appeal the penalties.
Stockman acknowledged Saturday during an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR radio that the team used body filler on the deck lid to get that part of the car to fit a template.
NASCAR issued one other penalty after the Talladega race — a $10,000 fine to Jeremy Bullins, crew chief on Ryan Newman's #12 Team Penske team, for a loose or missing lug nut after the race.
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