NASCAR has made some changes to the penalty appeal process.
Language in Section 10.5.2 of the NASCAR Rule Book now states that the appeals panel and final appeal officer may not completely strike any element of an originally assessed penalty. Those parties can adjust the original penalties, but modifications are limited to the minimum and maximum ranges in the rule book.
If a penalty includes the deduction of points, fines, and suspensions all three of those elements must be kept if the appeals panel or final appeal officer rule that the offending party violated the rules. Reductions are possible, but a category cannot be completely eliminated.
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All of those elements can be removed if a penalty is overturned.
The rule book update also specifies that NASCAR has the right to publish the appeals panel’s or final appeal officer’s reasoning for modifying or rescinding a penalty.
