Ryan Newman’s Safety Penalty Upheld

A three-member appeals panel upheld a safety penalty Tuesday against NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Newman for his failure to wear proper protective equipment during a race weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel heard the appeal Tuesday and determined that Newman violated the rule as indicated in the Oct. 25 penalty notice. The panel also affirmed and upheld the original penalty—a $10,000 fine for violating Section 8.3.2.A (Driver Responsibilities) and Section 14.3.1.1.A&F (Driver Protective Clothing/Equipment) after he removed his head sock.

After the ruling, the panel issued an explanation and a suggestion: “We reached this conclusion because it was demonstrated that he didn’t wear the proper safety equipment during practice and qualifying. In the absence of a specific fine for the infraction, we listened to NASCAR’s description of how they arrived at the $10,000 penalty. However, the panel suggests NASCAR establish a policy that all safety violations have a published range.”

Dixon Johnston, Hunter Nickell, and Steve York served on the panel for Tuesday’s hearing.

Newman, 45, returned to the NASCAR Cup Series this season after missing the 2022 campaign. The veteran—an 18-time winner in NASCAR’s top division—competed in eight races this year with Rick Ware Racing.

Article/Photo courtesy of NASCAR