Legacy Motor Club address NASCAR penalty on No. 43 team

Legacy Motor Club responded to Wednesday’s announcement of penalties levied against its No. 43 car driven by Erik Jones stemming from the Enjoy Illinois 300 race this past weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.

The team was given a L1-level infraction penalty following a post-race inspection that discovered the No. 43 car had a greenhouse modification. NASCAR deducted 60 points and five NASCAR Playoff points for the infraction.

Crew chief Dave Elenz is also suspended for two races and fined $75,000.

“We acknowledge the penalty issued by NASCAR and are working within the team to determine the course of action,” the official Legacy Motor Club Twitter account tweeted Wednesday.

The greenhouse is the top part of the stock car used in NASCAR Cup Series races.

“The greenhouse is the top portion of the Cup Series car, including the roof, plus the front and rear glass — everything from the top of the doors upward,” NASCAR’s press release on the penalties reads. “Modifications to this area would be made by teams in an attempt to gain an aerodynamic edge.”

Erik Jones of Legacy Motor Club facing tall task rest of the season

It has been a difficult start to the season for Erik Jones and the No. 43 car. Jones has finished in the top 10 only twice all season. He finished in eighth at Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and in sixth at GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Ala.

Jones is now 30th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings with 185 points, marking him 310 points behind current leader Ryan Blaney. The push back into playoff contention is going to be a difficult one for Jones.

A victory at one of the races would be the simplest way to get into the playoffs but that is easier said than done. Jones has three wins in his NASCAR career, including two wins at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C.

His most recent win came at Darlington in last year’s 2022 Cook Out Southern 500.