Paul Wolfe will be on top of the pit box after all at the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday.
The crew chief for the No. 2 Ford was set to serve the second week of a three-race suspension until Team Penske announced it was appealing the penalties issued following the race at Phoenix International Raceway in a press release on Wednesday (Mar. 29).
Wolfe’s suspension stemmed from the car of Brad Keselowski failing post-race inspection for general inspection measurements at Phoenix. As a result, the team was hit with an L1 penalty.
In addition to Wolfe’s suspension, the crew chief was fined $65,000 and the team was docked 35 driver and owner points.
“After having the opportunity to review the facts, Team Penske has decided to appeal the penalties following the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in Phoenix,” Team Penske said in the press release. “We have requested an appeal hearing and we plan to follow the process as outlined in the NASCAR rulebook.”
With the appeal proceedings ongoing, Wolfe’s suspension has been temporarily lifted.
“The appeals administration has granted our request to defer the two races remaining on Paul Wolfe’s suspension until the results of our appeal are known,” Team Penske said.
Wolfe has been Keselowski’s MENCS crew chief since 2011. The duo partnered to win the 2010 XFINITY Series title and the 2012 MENCS championship.
About the author
Michael Massie joined Frontstretch in 2017 and has served as the Content Director since 2020. Massie, a Richmond, Va., native, has covered NASCAR, IndyCar, SRX and the CARS Tour. Outside of motorsports, the Virginia Tech grad and Green Bay Packers minority owner can be seen cheering on his beloved Hokies and Packers.
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