Busch’s Pocono-winning Xfinity team penalized

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  Bob PockrassNASCAR

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  • NASCAR writer for ESPN.com
  • 2009, 2013 NMPA Writer of the Year
  • More than 25 years experience covering motorsports

For the second time in three races, the winner of the Xfinity Series race has failed postrace technical inspection.

NASCAR penalized Joe Gibbs Racing for the race-winning car of Kyle Busch being too high at the front of the car following the event Saturday at Pocono Raceway. NASCAR suspended Eric Phillips, the No. 18 team’s crew chief, for one race, fined him $10,000 and also docked the team 10 regular-season points and all six of the playoff points it earned in the event.

Roflmao!! What a joke. Too high?! That’s a disadvantage Incase any of u were wondering. ????????‍♂️ https://t.co/hlC3vDRdgb

— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) June 2, 2018

Busch doesn’t earn driver points in the series. The only penalty for him is that he will be without Phillips for the Xfinity Series race Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. JGR engineer Dustin Zacharyasz will be the crew chief for Busch in the Xfinity Series car this weekend.

In the May 5 race at Dover, the JR Motorsports race-winning car for Justin Allgaier was found to have a suspension piece that did not meet requirements. Considered a more severe infraction, he was docked 25 regular-season points and six playoff points while his crew chief was suspended for two races. He also can’t use that win to the make the playoffs.

The JGR No. 18 team already had won a race this year — with Ryan Preece at Bristol — so the penalty will not impact that team’s ability to vie for the owners (team) championship.