Matt Kenseth goes down two laps after Atlanta pit-road infraction
Matt Kenseth led 47 laps in Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but a costly pit-rod penalty may have cost him a shot at victory.
Just past the one-third mark of the race, Kenseth pitted for four tires and fuel on his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. When he did, his gasman placed a wedge-adjustment wrench on the trunk of Kenseth's car while he was fueling it.
By rules, the gasman cannot do anything other than fuel the car when the gas can is engaged. NASCAR caught the infraction and penalized the team.
Kenseth's crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, argued the case with NASCAR officials. While the discussion was going on, Kenseth got black-flagged. He ultimately was penalized one lap for the pit infraction and another for ignoring the black flag. It was a tough break for the driver of one of the fastest cars in the race.
