Darrell Wallace Jr. scored a victory in his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race of the season, but there’s a catch.
Following Saturday’s race at Michigan International Speedway, Wallace’s No. 99 MDM Motorsports Chevrolet failed inspection and was issued an L1 penalty after an aero infraction was discovered, NASCAR announced Wednesday. In the addition to the victory being ruled encumbered, MDM Motorsports was docked 10 owner points and crew chief Shane Huffman was fined $5,000 and suspended for Wednesday night’s truck race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The violation pertains to section 20.4.12.b of the NASCAR rulebook, which states, “Vent holes at the bed top must be configured for air intake only.” Here’s a more in-depth explanation, courtesy of SiriusXM NASCAR radio:
This marks a bit of a disappointing return to the track for Wallace, who’s been out of action since making his impressive debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
This isn’t the first time the term “encumbered,” which basically means a driver’s victory can’t count toward the playoffs, has popped up in NASCAR this year. Full-time Cup driver Joey Logano currently is fighting for his playoff life, thanks to his encumbered victory at Richmond Raceway earlier this season.
Thumbnail photo via Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports Images
