Following last week’s TUMS QuikPak 500 from Martinsville Speedway, Brian Vickers’ No. 83 Red Bull Racing Toyota was selected at random by NASCAR for further inspection, the Sporting News is reporting. That inspection revealed that the doors, fenders, and quarter panels did not meet NASCAR’s minimum requirements for thickness.
Shaving weight off of the body panels could reduce the weight of the car by up to 75 pounds. If that weight is added back to the bottom of the car in the form of lead weights, it could help the car turn in the corner.
Vickers and and car owner Dietrich Mateschitz are expected to incur heavy fines and points penalties, and crew chief Kevin Hamlin could be suspended.
[...] For Vickers, RBR NASCAR issued penalties for Red Bull Racing and driver Brian Vickers following an inspection that revealed that the sheet metal on RBR’s No. 83 Toyota was too thin following the TUMS [...]