UPDATE 2: In his first comments on the matter since NASCAR confiscated wheels from his teams earlier in the weekend, Roger Penske said modifications had been necessary due to inconsistencies in the wheels, and that Team Penske had notified NASCAR of this beforehand.
“We had contacted NASCAR a week before and said that the wheels we were getting were not all the same and we felt we needed to modify the holes where the drive pins go in,” Penske. “We didn’t really get any feedback, and at that point, we went ahead and opened the holes up.”
“I just think there was so much going on and trying to get the communication back and forth — we certainly talked about it with them,” Penske said. “This wasn’t something we did under the covers trying to beat anybody. It was right there.
— Racer —
UPDATE 2-18-2022: A NASCAR spokesman told Motorsport.com that the wheels in question were found in the garage Friday morning and NASCAR did not believe they were involved in or affected Thursday night’s qualifying races – both of which were won by RFK Racing drivers.
A Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. spokesman said “nearly 85 percent” of tires are mounted on wheels prior to the race weekend.
However, a team could potentially unmount and remount a tire at the track, or something could have been to the wheels after they were mounted.
— Motorsport —
ORIGINAL POST 2-18-2022: This morning NASCAR took possession of wheels from Team Penske and RFK Racing.
The confiscated parts will be taken to the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, N.C., for further inspection.
If there are any penalties, those will be determined at a later date following the R&D Center inspection.
— NASCAR —