Stewart: SHR will not appeal penalty to No. 4 team

Stewart-Haas Racing will not appeal the penalty handed down by NASCAR to the No. 4 team for an infraction at Las Vegas, team owner Tony Stewart said Sunday at ISM Raceway in Phoenix.

Speaking to media alongside driver Kevin Harvick and crew chief Rodney Childers — who had just won their third consecutive race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500 — Stewart indicated that the team had chosen not to appeal the  L1-level penalty for two violations found during teardown at the NASCAR R&D Center after the car’s win at Vegas last week.

MORE: No. 4 team penalized post-Vegas | Harvick: Penalty ‘just motivates us’

The team was found to have violated Sections 20.4.8.1 (dealing with rear window support) and 20.4.18 (rocker panel extensions). A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions at all times. Additionally, the rocker panel extensions (the side skirts) were not aluminum.

The No. 4 team won the race at Vegas, but will not get the benefits of that win for the NASCAR Playoffs (a total of seven playoff points for winning the race and both stages). Harvick also won at Atlanta and now Phoenix, however, which means he still is qualified for the postseason on the basis of that first Atlanta win.

Additionally, as part of the penalty, crew chief Rodney Childers was fined $50,000. Car chief Robert Smith was suspended for two Monster Energy Series races, and will wrap up the suspension at Auto Club Speedway. The team also was docked 20 driver points and 20 owner points.