Two members of Chastain's crew suspended over COTA wheel infraction

Ross Chastain will be without two members of his Trackhouse Racing pit crew for the next couple of weeks after the expected suspensions for his car's detached wheel at Circuit of the Americas were announced on Tuesday.

Josh Appleby, the jack man, and Kenneth Pozega, the rear tire changer, have been suspended for the next two NASCAR Cup Series races. Those events will be at Phoenix Raceway (March 8) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 15).

The right rear wheel came off Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet with 21 laps to go in Sunday’s race, three laps after he had made a four-tire pit stop. Chastain was running 13th at the time of the incident.

Chastain never gave an indication over the team communication that he was experiencing a problem before the wheel came off. When it did, Chastain lost control of his car and spun off the track, going through a gravel trap, but got the car pointed in the right direction and drove to pit road.

“I lost a wheel,” he radioed thereafter.

NASCAR held Chastain in the pits for two laps after the wheel came off, which is per the at-track portion of the penalty. He finished 35th after qualifying second and leading four laps.