Kyle Busch’s crew chief, 2 crew members suspended by NASCAR for wheel coming off car

An unsecured wheel rolled off Kyle Busch’s car during Sunday’s race at Dover, a safety violation that triggers an automatic four-race suspension for the three crew members involved.

Kyle Busch will be without crew chief Adam Stevens, tire changer Jacob Seminara, and tire carrier Kenneth Barber after each was suspended four races by NASCAR Wednesday for a wheel coming off Busch’s car during Sunday’s Monster Energy Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway.

While making a pit stop, Busch left his stall before his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team had tightened the left-rear wheel, which caused the wheel to roll off the car when Busch began to go back on the track.

Per the NASCAR rulebook, a wheel coming off the car automatically triggers a minimum four-race suspension for the crew chief, tire changer and tire carrier: “Loss of wheel(s) due to improper installation will result in a mandatory minimum four Race suspension of the crew chief, tire changer and tire carrier of the lost wheel(s).”

NASCAR also handed the same penalty to Camping World Truck Series driver Chase Briscoe and his Brad Keselowski Racing team for a wheel coming off Briscoe’s truck in Friday’s race at Dover.

JGR will not appeal the four-race suspensions. Engineer Ben Beshore will serve as interim crew chief during Stevens’ absence. BKR is evaluating whether it wants to appeal.