Mike Shiplett, crew chief for Cole Custer on the #41 Stewart-Haas Racing team in the NASCAR Cup Series, has been suspended for Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway after the #41 had two improperly secured lug nuts at the end of the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 7. He also was fined $20,000.
Shiplett was one of six crew chiefs fined for loose or missing lug nuts after the Pennzoil 400. Five other crew chiefs — Rodney Childers on the #4 Stewart-Haas Racing team of Kevin Harvick, Luke Lambert on the #17 Roush Fenway Racing team of Chris Buescher, Ben Beshore on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team of Kyle Busch, James Small on the #19 JGR team of Martin Truex Jr. and Greg Erwin on the #21 Wood Brothers Racing team of Matt DiBenedetto — each were fined $10,000 for a single loose or missing lug nut at the end of the Las Vegas race.
