Chris Gayle, crew chief on the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team of Erik Jones in the NASCAR Cup Series, has been suspended for Wednesday evening’s Toyota 500K at Darlington Raceway. He also was fined $20,000. The penalties are a result of the #20 have two unsecured lug nuts after Sunday’s The Real Heroes 400, also at Darlington.
Gayle was one of six crew chiefs penalized for unsecured lug nuts after Sunday’s race, the Cup Series’ first race since a 10 week postponement of the 2020 schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic, but was the only one suspended. Rodney Childers, crew chief of Kevin Harvick’s #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford; Chris Gabehart, crew chief on Denny Hamlin’s #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota; Paul Wolfe, crew chief on Joey Logano’s #22 Team Penske Ford; Chad Johnston, crew chief on Matt Kenseth’s #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet; and Jason Ratcliff, crew chief on Christopher Bell’s #95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota each were fined $10,000 for having one unsecured lug nut on their cars.