Connect with us

Published

on

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR said a review of data and team communications showed that Stewart-Haas Racing manipulated the results of the playoff elimination race at Charlotte, an infraction that drew an additional $200,000 in fines on Tuesday.

“Nothing contradicted that that was done deliberately,” NASCAR senior vice president of competition Scott Miller said of Cole Custer slowing on the backstretch of the final lap to help teammate Chase Briscoe gain the positions needed to advance into the next round of the playoffs.

The new penalties brings SHR’s monetary fines to $300,000 over the last week; Kevin Harvick, one of the most outspoken drivers about safety concerns with NASCAR’s new Next Gen car, was penalized along with his crew chief when his Ford failed a post-Talladega inspection.

On Sunday, Custer appeared to deliberately hold up a line of traffic on Charlotte’s road course as teammate Briscoe stormed past in a desperate effort to move into the third round of the playoffs. Briscoe finished ninth, good enough to bump reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson from the playoffs as the field was trimmed from 12 drivers to eight.

Briscoe earned the eighth and final spot in the next round of the playoffs by two points over Larson.

NASCAR said after Sunday’s race it was reviewing Custer’s contact on the final lap. The penalties levied were a $100,000 fine for Custer and loss of 50 driver points, as well as 50 owner points for SHR. Crew chief Mike Shiplett was also fined $100,000 and suspended indefinitely.

Miller said NASCAR heard Shiplett tell Custer over the radio “‘I think you’ve got a flat. Checkup, checkup’ when he couldn’t see the car to tell if it had a flat.

“Blatantly pulling over and changing the finishing order on the last lap is what makes it over the top,” Miller continued, “especially with the instructions from the pit box.”

SHR was already appealing Harvick’s penalties and said Tuesday it would appeal the latest penalties against Custer’s team.

Miller said the penalty against Custer’s team would have been even stiffer if NASCAR didn’t believe Briscoe had earned his spot in the round of eight. NASCAR considered suspending Custer, who is the son of SHR’s co-president Joe Custer, but Miller said it didn’t because “super flagrant things that eliminated other competitors” are what warrants suspension.

NASCAR also did not consider removing Briscoe from the playoff field, which is down to eight drivers as NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. NASCAR found no data or communication that indicated Briscoe or the No. 14 team was aware Custer was assisting Briscoe’s advancement.

NASCAR cut Miller’s availability on the topic at just under 11 minutes, and Miller was not asked if NASCAR considered adding Larson back into the playoff field as a ninth driver.

The precedent for all this dates to a 2013 race manipulation scandal by Michael Waltrip Racing in the final regular-season race. Clint Bowyer was instructed over his radio to itch his arm, and Bowyer’s car spun to set in motion a sequence of events in which Ryan Newman did not win the race to earn an automatic playoff berth, and Bowyer teammate Martin Truex Jr. got the final playoff position.

NASCAR ultimately removed Truex from the playoff field in favor of Newman, who was closing in on the victory before the bogus spin by Bowyer. But further NASCAR investigations found manipulation by other teams, as well, and Jeff Gordon was ultimately added to what was then a 12-driver playoff field as an unprecedented 13th driver.

NASCAR also at the time declared a “100%” rule in which all teams were mandated to fully compete or risk serious fines. Tuesday marked the first time the rule has been enforced.

Briscoe heads to Las Vegas ranked eighth in the standings with three races to set the championship four.

Continue Reading

Sports

Gators’ Lagway ‘ready to play,’ will start vs. LSU

Published

on

By

Gators' Lagway 'ready to play,' will start vs. LSU

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is “ready to play,” coach Billy Napier said Thursday on his weekly radio show.

Napier removed Lagway from the team’s injury report and penciled him in to start against No. 21 LSU in the Swamp on Saturday.

Lagway practiced every day this week while progressing from a strained left hamstring. The highly touted freshman was carted off the field against Georgia on Nov. 2. Tests revealed a “less significant” injury than initially feared, and now he’s back in time to face the Tigers.

The Gators (4-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) need him. They have to win two of their final three regular-season games to become bowl eligible.

LSU (6-3, 3-2) has struggled mightily against dual-threat QBs, including Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns last week.

Lagway returns after walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner started in his place against Texas. Warner threw two interceptions and was 12-of-25 passing for 132 yards in a 49-17 loss.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Georgia leading rusher Etienne ruled out vs. Vols

Published

on

By

Georgia leading rusher Etienne ruled out vs. Vols

No. 12 Georgia will be without leading rusher Trevor Etienne for Saturday’s showdown against No. 7 Tennessee.

Etienne was downgraded from questionable to out on Thursday night’s SEC availability report.

Etienne left Georgia’s win over Florida with an upper-body injury on Nov. 2 and did not return. He played limited snaps in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, carrying the ball six times for 24 yards.

Etienne leads the Bulldogs with 477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.

The loss is another blow to Georgia’s banged-up backfield. Cash Jones is also listed as questionable while Branson Robinson remains out after missing the past three games with a knee injury.

That leaves true freshman Nate Frazier as the only healthy Bulldogs running back who has played meaningful snaps this year. Frazier is second on the team with 333 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Continue Reading

Sports

QB Castellanos exits after losing BC starting job

Published

on

By

QB Castellanos exits after losing BC starting job

Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who lost his starting job earlier this week, will not be returning to the team, he announced Thursday night.

Castellanos, who started 12 games last season and retained the top job under new coach Bill O’Brien, wrote on X that “unfortunately, all good things come to an end, even though it’s sooner than I would like.” He did not mention the transfer portal in his departing message and has not officially entered it. The junior from Waycross, Georgia, started his career at UCF and appeared in five games in 2022.

O’Brien said Tuesday that Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos in last week’s win against Syracuse, will start Saturday when Boston College visits No. 14 SMU. Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the decision, O’Brien said, adding that the quarterback decided to step away from the team for several days.

Castellanos had 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards last season under coach Jeff Hafley, passing for 15 touchdowns and adding 13 on the ground. He had 18 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season, but his accuracy dipped in recent weeks, and he completed only 2 of 7 passes against Syracuse before being replaced.

In his statement, Castellanos thanked both coaching staffs he played for at Boston College and wrote that he had “some of the best experiences of my life in the Eagles Nest and I will truly cherish these memories forever.”

Continue Reading

Trending