Speeding In The Pits: Drivers With The Most Pre-Race Penalties In 2012

Monday, November 26, 2012

Drivers With The Most Pre-Race Penalties In 2012

Photo By Patrick McDermott/Getty Images North America

David Gilliland led all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers with five pre-race penalties in the 2012 season. Next closest to Gilliland were Jeff Burton, Sam Hornish, Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Travis Kvapil who tied with three pre-race penalties. Gilliland's penalties came in the season opening race, the Daytona 500, the first race of the year at Talladega, the Sonoma event and the second races at Dover and Charlotte.

Driver, Penalties, Races Penalized In Parenthesis
David Gilliland - 5 (Daytona 1, Talladega 1, Sonoma, Dover 2, Charlotte 2)
Jeff Burton - 3 ( Charlotte 2, Kansas 2, Phoenix 2)
Sam Hornish, Jr. - 3 (Daytona 2, Michigan 2, Loudon 2)
Jimmie Johnson - 3 (Las Vegas, Michigan 1, Michigan 2)
Travis Kvapil - 3 (Talladega 1, Watkens Glen, Charlotte 2)
Dave Blaney - 2 (Bristol 1, Talladega 2)
Kurt Busch - 2 (Daytona 1, Charlotte 1)
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. - 2 (Michigan 2, Chicago)
Joey Logano - 2 (Texas 1, Homestead)
Juan Pablo Montoya - 2 (Las Vegas, Charlotte 2)
Ryan Newman - 2 (Michigan 1, Charlotte 2)
Regan Smith - 2 (Las Vegas, Homestead)
Aric Almirola - 1 (Michigan 2)
Marcos Ambrose - 1 (Daytona 2)
Greg Biffle - 1 (Homestead)
Clint Bowyer - 1 (Atlanta)
Kyle Busch - 1 (Las Vegas)
Denny Hamlin -1 (Homestead)
Kasey Kahne - 1 (Daytona 1)
Stephen Leicht - 1 (Sonoma)
Michael McDowell - 1 (Daytona 2)
Paul Menard - 1 (Daytona 1)
Danica Patrick - 1 (Daytona 1)
David Reutimann -1 (Kansas 2)
Ken Schrader - 1 (Las Vegas)
Reed Sorenson - 1 (Charlotte 2)
David Stremme - 1 (Bristol 1)
Brian Vickers - 1 (Loudon 2)

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