Drivers Shane Hmiel and Jason Keller, along with their crew chiefs, received varying penalties for their involvement in a garage area altercation following last Friday night’s NASCAR Busch Series race at Richmond International Raceway, NASCAR officials announced Monday. Hmiel, driver of the #48 Chevy, and Keller, driver of the #57 Ford, were fined $5,000 each and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Gere Kennon, crew chief for Hmiel, and Steve Addington, crew chief for Keller, were fined $10,000 each and placed on probation until Dec. 31. All parties involved were in violation of Section 12-4-A (Actions detrimental to stock car racing: Involved in an altercation with another competitor in the garage area after the completion of the race) of the NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. Kennon’s and Addington’s infractions under 9-4-A also included the crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his or her driver, car owner and team members.(NASCAR PR)(9-9-2003)
UPDATE: On September 17, 2003, the National Stock Car Racing Commission heard and considered the appeal of Innovative Motorsports.. The appeal pertained to two penalties issued by NASCAR following an incident in the garage at the conclusion of the NASCAR Busch Series race at Richmond International Raceway on September 5, 2003.
The penalties assessed by NASCAR were:
……….. -Driver, Shane Hmiel: $5,000 fine and probation until December 31, 2003 for actions detrimental to stock car racing; being involved in an altercation with another competitor in the garage area after the completion of the race.
……….. -Crew Chief, Gere Kennon:. $10,000 fine and probation until December 31, 2003 for actions detrimental to stock car racing; being involved in an altercation with another competitor in the garage area after the completion of the race; crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his or her driver, car owner and team members.
With regards to the penalty issued to Mr. Hmiel, the post-race altercation between Jason Keller and Shane Hmiel clearly sparked the ensuing brawl.
With regards to the penalty issued to Mr. Kennon, the Appellants argued that the Innovative Motorsports Team members were not the instigators of the fight, but reacted defensively to aggression. While the Appellant’s argument was plausible and compelling, the evidence available to NASCAR of exactly who “threw the first punch” is conflicting and inconclusive, so the Commission finds that NASCAR was correct in assessing the same penalty to both teams in this case. It is therefore the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Commission to uphold both penalties assessed by NASCAR. The Appellants have the right, under Section 15 of the NASCAR Rule Book, to appeal either or both of these decisions to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.(NASCAR PR)(9-18-2003)
