? Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR puts illegal roof air deflectors from Stewart-Haas Racing on display ahead of Las Vegas

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated 3/2/24

Following 35-point driver and owner penalties to the No. 10 and No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing teams, NASCAR is showing the illegal parts. The roof air deflectors were not to specification but were also not a single source part.

So, the good news is that the penalty was minor. At least, minor relative to what it could have been. This puts Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece into a hole early to start the year. However, it isn’t one they can’t get out of if they stay consistent.

NASCAR showed the roof air deflectors to the media ahead of the Las Vegas practice and qualifying sessions. Multiple holes were punched through, which allowed the deflectors to be slightly raised when installed.

The parts need to be flat against the car. With these holes and dents added, they were slightly raised, theoretically giving an aero advantage to those cars. Anywhere air can go in, around, or through – that’s an aero tweak.

Here is Brad Moran, Cup Series Director, explaining the parts and what is wrong with them, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports.

The Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson roof air deflectors from Atlanta. NASCAR Cup Series Director Brad Moran explains the violation. pic.twitter.com/pmymsil7CY
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 2, 2024

Stewart-Haas Racing just can’t get out of their own way it seems. These penalties are the latest example. They were team-made parts, not single-source parts, meaning they were made in the SHR shop. Had they been one of the single-source parts, NASCAR would have likely come down with a harsher penalty.

This week at Las Vegas, Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson can begin their task of rebuilding their points. It won’t be easy, but it is the only option they have at this point.

Stewart-Haas Racing did not appeal penalties

If they wanted to, Stewart-Haas Racing could have appealed these penalties. However, they saw it best not to carry this process on any longer and did not appeal. These points deductions are going to remain and that is that.

These penalties are a reminder that SHR has had issues in the Next Gen era. You can complain about single-source parts and not being able to bend the rules as much or get creative like in the past, but that’s the past.

At some point or another, Stewart-Haas Racing has to catch up with the times. Get more creative about how you get creative. It feels like they are still attempting to work under the old NASCAR meta.

With the rise of Front Row Motorsports to a key partner program with Ford, Stewart-Haas is on the hot seat. Ford might just decide they are done with SHR altogether after this season. The only way to bounce back from a Ford breakup or to prevent one is to get results. Penalties like this won’t let that happen.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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