No. 9 Xfinity penalties overturned; Gragson back in the Dash 4 Cash at Dover

Noah Gragson will get his check back. Wednesday the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer overturned the penalties that had been levied against the JR Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet team after Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway.

Saturday, NASCAR officials disqualified Gragson and the No. 9 Chevy sending the team to last place in the 40-car field after post-race inspection. NASCAR officials said the No. 9 had violated Rule 20.14.c in the NASCAR Rule Book, which states: “All suspension mounts and mounting hardware must not allow movement or realignment of any suspension and/or drivetrain component beyond normal rotation or suspension and/or drivetrain travel.”

Gragson led a race high 40 laps, finished second in both Stages and was credited with a 4th place. He initially won his third consecutive $100,000 Dash-4-Cash bonus.  The post-race inspection decision however handed the Dash 4 Cash bonus to the next-highest eligible finisher — AJ Allmendinger.

Roger Werner, the final appeals officer, heard and considered the organization’s appeal, overruling the disqualification that stemmed from the No. 9 car’s failure to pass post-race technical inspection. The decision restores Noah Gragson’s fourth-place result and the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus as the top finisher among a group of four drivers eligible for the prize.

With his Darlington finish restored after Wednesday’s hearing, Gragson rejoins the four-driver Dash 4 Cash field for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Dover International Speedway. That bonus will be decided among Gragson, Darlington race winner Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Brandon Jones.

Gragson has swept all three Dash 4 Cash prizes this season, topping the field of eligible drivers at Martinsville Speedway (April 11), Talladega Superspeedway (April 24) and Darlington (May 8). Saturday’s 200-miler at Dover is the final event in the four-race D4C program for 2021.

Greg Engle