Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR
The fourth and final category featured on this blog is undoubtedly the most straight forward and simple categories. It is also the best indicator of what drivers and teams have had the most problems in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Pits Closed Penalty lists drivers who have had to pit before the pits are open due to damaged sustained in a wreck, or a part failure that's forced them to go to the pits or the garage area. This category does not include penalties for drivers who are laps down and enter the pits when the pits are open only for the leaders as that is considered to be a driver penalty.
David Gilliland lead all drivers in 2011 with 16 penalties in this category. Bobby Labonte was second with 14 penalties while Brian Vickers, Juan Pablo Montoya and Trevor Bayne tied for third with 10. It should be noted that the highest finishing driver in the points among those listed here was Montoya who finished 21st. There was only one driver who attempted to start all 36 events and was not a start and park team. That driver was the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, Tony Stewart. Stewart's title rival, Carl Edwards tied Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton with only three penalties.
| Driver Number(s) | Driver Name | Pits Closed Penalties |
| 38, 34 | David Gilliland | 16 |
| 47 | Bobby Labonte | 14 |
| 83 | Brian Vickers | 10 |
| 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 10 |
| 21 | Trevor Bayne | 10 |
| 6 | David Ragan | 9 |
| 09, 60, 51 | Landon Cassill | 9 |
| 78 | Regan Smith | 9 |
| 34, 38 | Travis Kvapil | 8 |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | 8 |
| 13 | Casey Mears | 7 |
| 7 | Robby Gordon | 7 |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | 7 |
| 22 | Kurt Busch | 7 |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 7 |
| 9 | Marcos Ambrose | 7 |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | 7 |
| 36, 60, 35 | Dave Blaney | 6 |
| 00 | David Reutimann | 6 |
| 20 | Joey Logano | 6 |
| 27 | Paul Menard | 6 |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray | 6 |
| 4 | Kasey Kahne | 6 |
| 71, 77 | Andy Lally | 5 |
| 56 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 5 |
| 32, 71 | Mike Bliss | 5 |
| 32, 38 | Terry Labonte | 5 |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | 5 |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | 5 |
| 33 | Clint Bowyer | 5 |
| 39 | Ryan Newman | 5 |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | 4 |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 4 |
| 43 | A.J. Allmendinger | 4 |
| 5 | Mark Martin | 4 |
| 31 | Jeff Burton | 3 |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | 3 |
| 35, 36 | Geoffrey Bodine | 3 |
| 60, 36, 37 | Mike Skinner | 3 |
| 99 | Carl Edwards | 3 |
| 46, 38 | J.J. Yeley | 2 |
| 09, 46 | Bill Elliott | 2 |
| 87 | Joe Nemechek | 2 |
| 32 | Ken Schrader | 1 |
| 30 | David Stremme | 1 |
| 7 | Reed Sorenson | 1 |
| 95 | David Starr | 1 |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | 1 |
| 37 | Robert Richardson, Jr. | 1 |
| 37 | Tony Raines | 1 |
| 84 | Cole Whitt | 1 |
| 92 | Dennis Setzer | 1 |
| 66, 18 | Michael McDowell | 0 |
| 14 | Tony Stewart | 0 |
| 71 | Hermie Sadler | 0 |
| 46 | Scott Speed | 0 |
| 32 | Andrew Ranger | 0 |
| 77 | Steve Wallace | 0 |