Kenseth’s ban upheld on appeal
Driver to sit two races; probation period cut
Matt Kenseth’s final appeal of his two-race suspension by NASCAR was denied Thursday by National Motorsports Final Appeals officer Bryan Moss.
Earlier in the day, the National Motorsports Appeal Panel had rejected Kenseth’s appeal.
The three-member panel and Moss supported NASCAR’s decision to suspend the 2003 Sprint Cup champion for two races after Kenseth’s late-race crash into race leader Joey Logano on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.
Moss made a minor change in Kenseth’s penalty, reducing the period of probation from six months so it will end Dec. 31.
Kenseth and his team, Joe Gibbs Racing, appealed NASCAR’s decision because of the unusual severity of the penalty. Over the course of its 65-year history, NASCAR rarely has suspended drivers from competition because of on-track incidents.
“It didn’t turn out like we wanted,” Kenseth said after the final decision was announced. “I’m obviously more than a little disappointed on the decision and the penalties to start with. ... I’m extremely disappointed, but we’ll get through this and go to Homestead.
“I’m not going to change who I am, not going to change what I stand for. I’m not going to change how I race. I’ve been in this business for a long time; I feel like I’ve had a pretty good career to this point and I feel like I’m going to continue to have the respect on the racetrack I feel like I deserve. I’m looking forward to going to Homestead, hopefully going there and getting a win before the year is out.”
Erik Jones is scheduled to substitute for Kenseth in the next two races — Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway and next weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Kenseth will be eligible to return for the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.
NASCAR acted in this case, officials said, because Kenseth was 10 laps down when he crashed into Logano and not racing for the lead.
Kenseth essentially had telegraphed the move, saying two weeks earlier that payback was on the agenda after Logano bumped Kenseth — who had blocked him twice — out of the way while they were racing for the lead late in a race at Kansas Speedway.
Kenseth has been eliminated from the Chase for the Sprint Cup, while Logano remains one of seven drivers eligible for the three spots remaining in the championship race at Homestead.