NASCAR on TV this week

Chris Hacker Reinstated, Will Race at Martinsville

Chris Hacker has been reinstated by NASCAR after completing its Road to Recovery program, NASCAR announced Oct. 25.

Hacker was suspended indefinitely on Aug. 17 after being arrested Aug. 15 for driving while impaired.

He will compete in this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway for Emerling-Gase Motorsports in its No. 35.

Hacker has made four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appearances and two Xfinity starts in 2023, with a best finish of 12th in the Truck event at North Wilkesboro Speedway for On Point Motorsports.

See also
Only Yesterday: Before 2011 NASCAR Cup Battle, There Was 2002

Concurrently, NASCAR announced a bevy of penalties stemming from the national series events at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. Ryan Newman was fined $10,000 following the NASCAR Cup Series race for a violation of the sport’s driver protective equipment/clothing rule.

In the Xfinity Series, a pair of CHK Racing crew members were suspended for the next two races, Richard Childress Racing’s No. 21 crew chief (Charles Street) was suspended for a race and fined $10,000, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 crew chief (Jason Ratcliff) was fined $5,000. Each penalty stemmed from lug nut violations.

The Truck Series saw a pair of lug nut penalties for the Nos. 15 and 17 teams, while the No. 98 team and driver Ty Majeski were docked 10 points for a violation of NASCAR’s front suspension guidelines.

Frontstretch.com

Rutherford is the managing editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2015 after serving on the editing staff for two years. At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.