Kyle Busch’s interim crew chief suspended 1 race

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will now be on his third crew chief in less than a month.

Kyle Busch is already without his regular crew chief and now he’ll be without his interim crew chief after NASCAS issued penalties stemming from last weekend’s Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

Ben Beshore was suspended one race and fined $20,000 for two missing lug nuts found on Busch’s No. 18 car following the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Busch finished fifth in the race.

Beshore, normally the race engineer on the No. 18 team, will miss Saturday night’s race at Daytona International Speedway. He had been filling in for full-time crew chief Adam Stevens, who is serving a four-race suspension after a tire fell off Busch’s car during the June 4 race at Dover International Speedway. Stevens is eligible to return for the July 8 race at Kentucky Speedway.

Joe Gibbs Racing has not named who will crew chief Busch’s team at Daytona. The team could elect to appeal Beshore’s suspension, thereby allowing him to be at Daytona and if need be serve the suspension at a later date.

Busch currently ranks fourth in the series points standings. Although he is without a win on the year, the 2015 Cup champion is 119 points ahead of the provisional cut line to earn one of 16 available playoff spots.