Speeding In The Pits: 2011 Year In Review: Travis Kvapil's Penalties

Monday, December 5, 2011

2011 Year In Review: Travis Kvapil's Penalties

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season for Travis Kvapil had to be a trying one. Going into the year, Kvapil expected to run the full NASCAR Camping World truck campaign. Unfortunately, Kvapil was ousted from the ride but Kvapil was able to keep his name on television by driving most of the Sprint Cup season for Front Row Motorsports underfunded organization.

Kvapil attempted to qualify for all but the two road course events on the 2011 Sprint Cup schedule. In all, Kvapil did not qualify for three of the events he attempted to start including the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis and the Geico 400 at Chicagoland. Of the 31 events Kvapil started between Front Row's #38 and #55 cars, he only did the start and park five times, all while behind the wheel of the #55.

The Front Row team did a great job all year long, going the full season with only a single penalty on their behalf. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Kvapil who was caught speeding six times during the season. Kvapil's other penalties were pitting before pit road was open without damage three times and one for not obeying NASCAR's request to come to the pits.

2011 Statistics For Travis Kvapil
Was Not Eligable To Score Points
0 top 5s
0 top 10s
Best Finish: 16th in the Tums Fast Relief 500
13 laps led

2011 Penalty Report For Travis Kvapil
Race 2 - Pitting before pit road is open, Garage
Race 3 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 8 - Speed-Entering pits, Pass thru; Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field
Race 10 - Pitting before pit road is open, Tail of Field
Race 12 - Speed-Exiting pits, Pass Thru
Race 13 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 21 - Speed-Exiting pits, pass thru; Refueling car before the affected car receives the green flag on the race track or does not complete the designated race distance (competition yellow)
Race 24 - Speed-Exiting pits, tail end; Disobeying a NASCAR request [failure to go to proper position under yellow], 2 Laps
Race 26 - Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Speed-Exiting pits, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end; Pitting before pit road is open, tail end
Race 33 - Speed-Entering pits, Tail of Field

Penalty Color Key

Pink - Pre-race Penalty
Orange - Penalty For Pitting Before Pit Road Is Open/Too many crew member(s) in contact with pit service area
Red - Driver Induced Penalty
Green - Pit Crew Induced Penalty
White - Verbal Abuse Toward Official/Safety Violation

Red, green and white designated penalties are considered to be "serious" penalties as they have a more significant affect on the outcome of a driver and team's finish than pink and orange designated penalties.

Please note that NASCAR does not have different designations for penalties. The color designation is for the purpose of this website only.

NASCAR's Race Penalty Procedures

* Driver change before start of the race
PENALTY: Start at the tail of the field

* Use of a backup car after qualifications
PENALTY: Start at the tail of the field

* Engine and/or transmission change after qualifications
PENALTY: Start at the tail of the field

* Adjustments made to car after impound
PENALTY: Start at the tail of the field

* Miss driver's meeting/driver introductions

PENALTY: Start at the tail of the field

* Impeding a competitor during qualifying
PENALTY: Qualifying lap disallowed

* Pitting before Pit Road is open
PENALTY: Restart at the tail of the field

* Too many crew member(s) in contact with pit service area
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Pitting out of order
PENALTY: Restart at the tail of the field

* Car must enter pit road in single file
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Speeding - Entering/Exiting pits
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* All passing on pit road must be to the outside on entry
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Driving through more than 3 pit boxes
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Car pitting out of the assigned pit box
PENALTY: 1 lap

* Crew member interfering with another team's pit stop
PENALTY: NASCAR Discresion

* Running the stop & go sign/light
PENALTY: NASCAR Discretion

* Going above the blend line exiting the pits
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Passing the caution car/truck
PENALTY: 1 lap

* Pulling up to pit (drivers must maintain position in relation to field or face penalty)
PENALTY 1 lap

* Jumping the start/restart
PENALTY: Pass through pits

* Passing after turn three (3) on "One to Go''
PENALTY: Pass through pits

* Passing on a start or restart (before start/finish line)
PENALTY: Pass through pits

* Disobeying NASCAR request
PENALTY: NASCAR Discretion

* Intentionally causing a caution
PENALTY: NASCAR Discretion

* Disobeying Black Flag
PENALTY: NASCAR Discretion

* Commitment Line Violation
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Passing under the double yellow line (at Daytona or Talladega)
PENALTY: Must pass through pits

* Blocking a driver under the yellow line (at Daytona or Talladega)
PENALTY: Must pass through pits

* Disqualification of qualifying time
PENALTY: Start at tail of the field

* Use of extension poles are limited/not self illuminated
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Crew member(s) over the wall too soon
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Crew member(s) returning from equipment side of wall
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Front air wrench must be carried back to pit wall side of car
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Using more than two (2) air wrenches during one pit stop
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Non-Compliant refueling
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Tossing or throwing the fuel filler/equipment
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Tire violation-Removing outside tire acceptable/Rolling a tire(s) beyond the center of pit road
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Unapproved adjustment to car
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Removing equipment from assigned pit area
PENALTY: Stop and Go

* Running over/under equipment
PENALTY: NASCAR Discretion

* Hand pushing car more than 3 pit boxes
PENALTY: Must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow

* Refueling car before the affected car receives the green flag on the race track or does not complete the designated race distance (competition yellow)
PENALTY: Minimum 1 lap

* Verbal abuse to a NASCAR official
PENALTY: NASCAR Discretion

* Safety violation
PENALTY: NASCAR Discretion