Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

NASCAR hits Keselowski with huge fine for modifying Next Gen

NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., on March 19, 2022. (John Bazemore / AP) NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., on March 19, 2022. (John Bazemore / AP)
Share
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -

NASCAR issued steep penalties against Brad Keselowski and his new race team on Thursday for illegally modifying a supplied part on the Next Gen car.

Keselowski was docked 100 driver points and the No. 6 Ford team docked 100 owner points. Matt McCall, his crew chief, was fined $100,000 and suspended from the next four Cup races.

The penalty plunged the 2012 NASCAR champion from 16th in the current standings to 35th -- behind every other full-time driver in the field. Keselowski is in his first season as driver and part-owner of RFK Racing.

Additionally, should Keselowski qualify for NASCAR's playoffs, he will be docked 10 points at the reset ahead of the first round.

The infraction was discovered in a teardown technical inspection of the No. 6 Ford at NASCAR's research and development center in Concord this week. The RFK Racing entry was brought to NASCAR headquarters after Sunday's race at Atlanta, where Keselowski was sent to the back of the field at the start for unapproved adjustments.

Keselowski finished 12th at Atlanta.

NASCAR announced a more stringent penalty structure for 2022 and its new Next Gen car, which is a spec car consisting of primarily single-source parts from distributors. Modifications are not permitted, and the Fords from RFK and Team Penske were already found to have made changes to their wheels ahead of the Daytona 500. Both organizations escaped penalty for the first offense.

NASCAR's new penalty system is three-tiered and designed to deter teams from altering its new race car. Keselowski received an L2-level penalty, which allows for points deductions up to 120 points and fines of up to $250,000.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected