NASCAR denies appeal from Matt Kenseth, two race suspension stands

In choosing to suspend Matt Kenseth for the next two events, NASCAR has sent out a message to the rest of the Sprint Cup Series garage that retaliation using race cars would not be tolerated moving forward.

Kenseth was suspended and given a six-month probation after he wrecked Joey Logano in the late stages of Sunday’s Goody’s 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Gibbs also lost its appeal to National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss, who did reduce the six-month probationary period to the end of the year. That probation will run until December 31, 2015. The case now goes to Moss, and the burden of proof changes from NASCAR having to prove its case to Kenseth having to prove his, though with this being a behavioral violation (as opposed to a technical violation of how the vehicle is built), there likely won’t be much difference in the arguments. With Logano now last in the eight-driver Chase field with two races remaining to qualify for the finale, why should it be any different for Kenseth?

“I think it all depends on whose name is above the door on whether or not you’re allowed to do it”, Busch said. Kenseth was nine laps down while Logano was in the lead.

Buescher, 23, is now trying to win a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. “You make a move like that, you have to know the risk you’re taking”. Reigning champion Kevin Harvick had no action taken against him two weeks ago at Talladega when he triggered a race-ending crash that preserved his spot in the playoffs. I have more fans than I have ever had before, and I love it and I appreciate every one of them.

“What Matt Kenseth did was so far beyond the “Boys, have at it” excuse that it doesn’t belong in the same conversation”, Fox analyst Larry McReynolds said Monday. Can he translate his qualifying speed to Sunday’s race at Texas? Earlier Thursday, the aforementioned three-person National Motorsports Appeals Panel heard the appeal and decided that Kenseth violated the rules set forth in the Penalty notice.

NASCAR chairman Brian France told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that Kenseth was harshly punished because penalties needed to be increased to deter any driver from doing the same thing.

Logano again stood firm Friday in his stance about what happened when he wrecked Kenseth at Kansas Speedway, saying it was a product of both drivers racing hard for the victory.

When Matt Kenseth steered Joey Logano into the wall, the crowd roared its approval as a veteran driver delivered old-school payback. She did and damaged her vehicle to the point it could not be repaired. Kenseth, Ratcliff and team-owner Gibbs were ordered to the NASCAR trailer for a post-race discussion. As it was, Logano never did prove he had the faster vehicle. He took the checkered flag at the 1.5-mile track in April of last season and has finished in the top five in four of his last five starts there. “A couple of facts, which I’m sure you guys will find – I’m the first driver in the 65-year history of NASCAR to get suspended for an incident that happened in the Sprint Cup Series race, so I feel like I was unfairly made the example instead of knowing where the line is, what the penalties are”.