HAMPTON, GA - FEBRUARY 28: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, leads Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 28, 2016 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)HAMPTON, GA – FEBRUARY 28: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, leads Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 28, 2016 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)
Matt Kenseth needed a good finish to make up for his heartbreaking loss in the season opening Daytona 500. Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway he looked to be in a good position to do just that; only to see it come apart through no fault of his own.
Kenseth led 47 of the opening laps, but on lap 117 during a round of green flag pit stops, NASCAR ruled that the gas man on his Joe Gibbs Racing crew had placed a tool on the rear of Kenseth’s Toyota. However he did so while connected to the car with the fuel can. That is against NASCAR rules. NASCAR ordered Kenseth in for a pass through penalty.
As crew chief Jason Ratcliff began to argue with NASCAR officials and Kenseth stayed on the track.