“Still doesn’t sit right that the 9 can get the win without having to pass the same inspection” NASCAR Twitter reacts to Michael McDowell getting penalized for infringement in Pocono

Mitchel McDowell

The Pocono Raceway had one of the unique endings to modern NASCAR history as the race witnessed the winner getting stripped of the win for the first time since 1960. Denny Hamlin was stripped of his win for a front grill infraction a fate shared by his teammate and P2 finisher Kyle Busch. HMS driver Chase Elliott was awarded the win following the post-race inspection.

Now Front Raw Motorsports driver Michael McDowell has joined the group of unfortunate drivers as he was penalized for the modification of single vendor-supplied parts. The L-2 level penalty for the infringement will see McDowell losing 100 driver points and his crew chief Blake Harris getting suspended for the coming 4 races, along with a hefty 100,000 USD fine.

After look at car at R&D, Michael McDowell has been docked 100 driver pts (and 100 owner pts) & 10 playoff points & crew chief Blake Harris suspended 4 races & fined $100K for altering seams/body filler. No additional penalties to 11/18 and no issues with the 47 at R&D center.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 26, 2022

Front Row Motorsports though has announced that they have started the process to file an appeal against the decision if not successful McDowell has lost his final hope for a playoff entry as he was already in need of a win now, he needs multiple wins to get to the playoffs. Even if McDowell got to the playoff, they will be docked 10 playoff points as per the penalty.

Also read: “I have always been passionate about racing in NASCAR” Ex-F1 Racer Daniil Kvyat set to make his NASCAR debut at Indy

How NASCAR Twitter reacted to Michael McDowells penalty

The No:34 driver facing a penalty for the infarction produced a mixed reaction from the fans on Twitter. Some fans called out NASCARs hypocrisy as Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch didn’t face a similar fate and how all the other cars were not correctly inspected. There were also fans calling the decision fare from NASCAR.

Still doesn't sit right that the 9 can get the win without having to pass the same inspection process as those who are DQd not even close to fair.
— Jill Wiley. MLSC18. 21WSCs. 21NCAA. 21/22-SERIEA (@skwjeb2016) July 26, 2022

Imagine what would happen if they actually teched more than just the top 2?
— Brayson 🌵 (@bmitchell11x) July 26, 2022

https://t.co/LjJ03dSXqK
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 26, 2022

Whoa. Massive penalty here. Holy cow. https://t.co/l88EB5eoX6
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 26, 2022

I don't understand how you just get DQ'd at the track. But if it gets found at R&D then you get a severe penalty.
— Jay Stone (@JayStonePeMech) July 26, 2022

What about Denny and Kyle?
— BIG DADDY (@BigDaddy_Racing) July 26, 2022

If Chad Knaus had HMS spying and ratting on him like they do everyone else Jimmie Johnson would have less wins than he does championships today
— 👈 High Score (@chizler62) July 26, 2022

I think a more damming stat for Custer is that he’s only 6 points ahead of Michael McDowell in points AFTER McDowell had a 100 point penalty
— Trey Ryan (@realRyanT1920) July 27, 2022

Need 5o "R&D" HMS TRACK HOUSE

Bet my left nut they didn't go as in depth all year if now they are DQing tape
Bet NASCAR got a tip and now they are pulling off the wrap
Easiest way to know is if Chevys slow down ……if they do then they have been as most think aero modifying
— TheSaltyOne (@FOPTonyReed) July 26, 2022

So it sounds like to me, if the 34 had finished P1 or 2, they would’ve gotten half the penalty they got today for running top 10. Yeah that makes real good sense! No wonder noone knows what’s goin on week in & week out with this sport…Keep on keepin on…pushin fans away @NASCAR
— Matthew Connell (@HammerTime_81MC) July 26, 2022

Yep so Joe Gibbs gets away with modification to there cars but front row and RFK lose 100 point owner/driver 10 playoff points and 100k and crew chief 4 weeks suspension
— Bryce Avery (@BryceAvery8) July 26, 2022

No, per their own rules they cannot do that. They only do the top 2 cars (heavy) check slightly 3-5 and two random one "pre-determined". Or they would have chosen the other 2 JGR cars.
— TLP630 (@tlp630) July 26, 2022

The penalties for 11/18 seem like a slap on the wrist at best. If NASCAR wants to stop the embarrassment to the sport of having to DQ the winner of the race, maybe they should make the consequences more severe. A DQ to guys locked in the playoffs easily has little impact.
— Tina 💋🔥🥃❤️ (@tmwtinatmw) July 26, 2022

Get caught cheating after a win at the track you still gain points over last week. Get caught at the R&D center and they take away almost 2 races worth of points, crew chief suspended, etc. Oh, yeah, I can reconcile that one
— Pops 48 (@rick48fan) July 26, 2022

Did he get to keep his 6th place finish in the race? It just seems if he did something so outrageous that NASCAR went to that extreme in penalizing him that he should of been DQ’d.
— Brandon Hitchcock (@jbhitch04) July 26, 2022

Other than Safery give them an engine size and a weight. Then get rid of all the millions spent on inspection. Let the manufacturers determine car shape. Works for @NHRA and @JohnForce_FC and he goes 330+ mph.
— B Thornberry (@bathornberry) July 26, 2022

RFK 6/ FRM 34 receive 100 point penalty
Petty/GMS 42 43 receive 35 point penalty
JGR 11 18 DQ'd and lose win and event points only.

All include modification of parts on the new car. Quintessential consistently inconsistent penalty enforcement by NASCAR. Why?
— Chris Phineas (@ChrisPhineas) July 26, 2022

Also read: Dale Earnhardt Jr. acclaims Ty Gibbs’s “emotional control and ability to sort of restraining himself” after his Pocono Xfinity outing

Also read: “Kurt Busch has not been cleared by the NASCAR medical team to return” to the Indianapolis Road course

Tags: Chase ellliott denny hamlin Front Raw Motorsports Kyle Busch michael McDowell pocono

#About the Author

Justin P Joy

(3652 Articles Published)

Justin P Joy is a Motorsports writer and editor at FirstSportz. He has been a motorsport journalist since 2020 and has published over 2000 articles. Justin has extensively covered two NASCAR, Formula One, and Moto GP seasons for FirstSportz. He has invested more than a decade of his life on Motorsports, first as a fan and later as a dedicated writer. Justin’s in-depth knowledge of Motorsports and his experience as a fan make his writing resonate with most racing fans worldwide. Justin's love for racing started when he discovered Moto GP at the age of 8. That love later guided him into the world of Formula 1. He fell in love with NASCAR after watching Tom Cruise’s “Days of Thunder” and has been an avid follower of the premier stock car racing series since. He has also been investing his time to exploring WEC, WRC, Formula E, Extreme E, and IndyCar in a bid to deeply understand the culture and history of Motorsports to present a unique perspective to the fans.

“Still doesn’t sit right that the 9 can get the win without having to pass the same inspection” NASCAR Twitter reacts to Michael McDowell getting penalized for infringement in Pocono

How NASCAR Twitter reacted to Michael McDowells penalty

Newsletter