Chris Buescher Crew Chief, Crew Members Suspended For Loose Wheel

Chris Buescher will have to spend the next four weeks with a different crew chief after Scott Graves, the full-time crew chief for the No. 17 Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series, was suspended for a lost-wheel penalty issued by NASCAR in its weekly penalty report on June 28.

The infraction comes for an incident during last weekend’s Cup race at Nashville Superspeedway when Buescher’s right rear wheel came detached on lap 255.

Buescher finished 30th, three laps down.

🎶 You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel. 🎶

Chris Buescher loses a wheel, bringing out the yellow late at @NashvilleSuperS! #NASHCAR

📺 : @USA_Network and @PeacockTV pic.twitter.com/x3dqyJcKz7

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 27, 2022

In addition to Graves, jackman Matthew Wilps and rear tire changer Seth Gajdorus have been suspended for four Cup events.

This is the 12th lost-wheel penalty issued to a Cup Series team in 2022.

Buescher has earned one top-five and four top-10 race results throughout the first 16 Cup events he has competed in this season. The Texan did not compete at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

No point deduction or monetary fine was given to the RFK Racing team following the penalty.

Also in the report were four NASCAR Xfinity Series teams whose crew chiefs were all fined $5,000 for unsecured lug nuts following last weekend’s event at Nashville.

Crew chiefs Alex Bird (Ryan Vargas), Jason Trinchere (Landon Cassill), Shane Whitback (Myatt Snider) and Michael Brandt (Ryan Ellis) have all been given fines after one lug nut was found unsecured on their cars.

Finally, the hauler driver for John Hunter Nemechek in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Tony Waters, has been suspended indefinitely for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy.

Share this article