NASCAR has penalized Jesse Love and the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing team ahead of Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race.<\/p>\n
The Sanctioning Body has rules about how thick the lug nuts cane be on the cars. NASCAR deemed that the RCR lug nuts on the No. 2 were too narrow and do not meet minimum size specifications.<\/p>\n
As a result, the No. 2 Chevrolet won’t be allowed to qualify, and Love will have to start from the rear of the field. Additionally, he will have to serve an in-race pass through penalty after the green flag flies, further putting him behind. Finally, he will also lost pit stall selection for the upcoming race at Sonoma Raceway.<\/p>\n
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Due to the size of this track, he won’t lose a lap, but crew chief Danny Stockman will have to adjust the strategy dramatically to try and get Love back up through the field.\u00a0Love’s best result on a road or street course is second at Watkins Glen, earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Love enters San Diego second in the championship standings, a full 250 points adrift of Justin Allgaier in the lead. Love is the defending NASCAR O’Reilly champion, and recently announced plans to go full-time NASCAR Cup racing in 2027, replacing Josh Berry as the driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford.<\/a><\/p>\n