Rick Ware Racing Penalized for Improperly Secured Wheel at Sonoma

Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Rick Ware Racing (RWR), as expected, will be operating without two valuable pit crew members for the next two weeks, after Cody Ware and the No. 51 Ford Mustang Dark Horse team had an improperly secured wheel during last Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

According to NASCAR’s weekly penalty report, issues officially on Tuesday, crew members Marquill Osborne (rear tire changer) and De’Quan Hampton (jackman) have been suspended for the next two NASCAR Cup Series events at Dover Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Osborne and Hampton are slated to return to NASCAR Cup Series competition on August 3 at Iowa Speedway. As of the time of publishing, it is unknown who will serve as interim tire changer and jackman for the Rick Ware Racing team.

The incident happened in the closing stages of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, after Ware had made his final pit stop under the green flag. As the Mighty Fire Breaker-sponsored machine returned to the racetrack, the right-rear tire came off the No. 51 and travelled across the grass and eventually the racing surface.

Since the right-rear tire of Ware’s car became detached while on the racetrack, the No. 51 Ford Mustang had to serve a two-lap penalty in the race. The damage from the incident was minimal, and Ware was able to finish the race, two laps down in 34th.

Rick Ware Racing had the only penalty from Sonoma in the NASCAR Cup Series garage.

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series garage, though, three organizations were fined after it was discovered that one of their vehicles had improperly secured lug nuts when the checkered flag was displayed on the afternoon.

Richard Childress Racing (No. 21), Sam Hunt Racing (No. 26), and Alpha Prime Racing (No. 44) were all handed down $5,000 fines. No further penalties were assessed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.