ROCKINGHAM — The No. 2 car’s disqualification from Saturday’s N.C. Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway is heading to the appeals process.
Team owner Richard Childress Racing posted on social media Monday that it would appeal NASCAR’s decision to disqualify Jesse Love’s win at the Rock.
After the streamers had flown, champagne corks popped and post-race interviews, NASCAR officials announced that Love’s car had failed a post-race inspection, citing a section of the rulebook regarding truck trailing arm spacers/pinion angle shims.
According to nascar.com, officials said, “All mating surfaces between the truck trailing arm and the U-bolt saddle must be in complete contact with each other.”
Runner-up Sammy Smith, who drives the No. 8 for JR Motorsports, was awarded the win and Love was bumped to 37th place.
Smith was also behind the wheel of the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series, placing 16th in the Black’s Tire 200 on Friday.
Love seemed to indicate he was holding onto the trophy by posting to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, “Good thing my house has a safe.”
Justin Bonsignore, driver of the No. 19 Toyota, was also disqualified “for lug nuts not installed in a safe and secure manner,” according to NASCAR.
Bonsignore only completed 157 laps before leaving the race due to a crash.
Only 20 of the 38 drivers completed all 256 laps of the race.
British driver Katherine Legge — who failed to qualify but was allowed to drive the No.53 for Joey Gase Motorsports in lieu of J.J. Yeley — only completed 50 laps before being taken out in a wreck with Kasey Kahne
Saturday’s race lasted 22 seconds shy of three hours and included 17 lead changes and 14 cautions, with 83 laps under caution.
Lap leaders were: Ryan Seig (77); Love (53); Nick Sanchez (52); and Carson Kvapil (47).
Other RCR drivers included Austin Hill and Kahne.
Kahne, who finished second in the 2004 Cup Series race and won the 2012 Craftsman Truck Series bout at the Rock, returned to NASCAR for the first time since 2018. He started fourth and finished 14th.
Hill finished sixth in Saturday’s race.
While this weekend marked NASCAR’s return to Rockingham in 11 years, Love’s DQ isn’t the first rule challenge since the track reopened.
Driver Mike Harmon and crew chief Ryan Bell were penalized in late 2021, accused of testing while making exhibition laps at Motorsport 4the Masses’ Motorfest at Thunder Alley on Nov. 13, which served as a fundraiser for Smiling While Sending Hope.
