Matt Kenseth’s crew was able to repair his car after he was involved in a big wreck during Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, but he still was unable to finish the race.
Kenseth was forced to retire from the race at Kansas Speedway after NASCAR determined that the No. 20 team sent too many people over the pit wall to work on his car, according to USA TODAY.
When the Joe Gibbs Racing driver returned to pit road after he was involved in a 10-car accident on Lap 197, seven crew members jumped the wall to attend to Kenseth’s car — the rules only allow for six. The costly mistake is one that Kenseth’s crew chief, Jason Ratcliffe, partly attributes to the fact that the No. 20 team was in the first pit stall.
“We missed a head count there,” Ratcliffe told USA TODAY. “In the heat of battle — that’s one thing about that pit stall, it makes it difficult. And when you get to pit road really quick, and you have a little less time to communicate.”
The mishap relegated Kenseth to a 34th-place finish, causing him to miss the cutoff for the Round of 8. Given that the 45-year-old driver’s future looks increasingly uncertain, Kenseth likely won’t be able to add another Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship to his résumé.
Thumbnail photo via John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports Images
