NASCAR fines Harvick's crew chief for Watkins Glen violation

Credit: Charlotte Bray for Skirts & Scuffs, 2014
NASCAR has penalized Kevin Harvick's No. 4 team for a rules violation during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International. The sanctioning body levied the No. 4 team with a P3 level penalty on Wednesday, fining crew chief Rodney Childers $25,000.

On Sunday, two bean bags left in Harvick's racecar got loose, causing the driver to pit in the opening laps of the Cheez-It 355.

NASCAR deemed the bean bags an unapproved weight violation and an action detrimental to stock car racing.

The P3 infraction under NASCAR's new penalty system is outlined in Section 12-4.3 of the 2014 rule book:
A. Violation examples could include but are not limited to:
1(c): Unapproved added weight and/or weight affixed improperly (e.g. Unapproved added weight (size and material); unapproved added weight location, but not of a nature rising to a higher numbered penalty. 
The infraction violates the following sections in the rule book:
12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing;
20-2.3: Added car weight
A. Any weight added to the car must be bolted inside the body shell in an approved weight container and in a position acceptable to NASCAR officials.
Added weight must be in block form of not less than five pound blocks (no pellets) and painted white with the car number or team identification permanently legible on it.
Childers said on his Twitter account Wednesday that the team "made a mistake" and accepted the penalty.
Warning issued to No. 98

NASCAR also issued a warning to Josh Wise's No. 98 team for an infraction involving fuel filler cans that occurred Friday at Watkins Glen.

According to Section 12-4.1 of the NASCAR rule book, the team violated the following rule:
When adding or removing fuel to/from the car in the garage area, the car must be outside the garage structure.
NASCAR noted that multiple warnings given to the same vehicle number or member within an allotted time period will result in one or more penalties in accordance to the rule book.
NASCAR fines Harvick's crew chief for Watkins Glen violation NASCAR fines Harvick's crew chief for Watkins Glen violation Reviewed by Rebecca Kivak on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Rating: 5