NASCAR hands two crew members indefinite suspensions for violating Substance Abuse Policy

Following the weekend at Pocono Raceway, NASCAR released the penalty report for the week and it had two interesting additions. Two crew members face indefinite suspensions for violating the Substance Abuse Policy.

The NASCAR penalty report named Cordell Cahill and RJ Otto as the two crew members who violated the Substance Abuse Policy. Both Cahill and Otto will receive indefinite suspensions for the violation.

Cahill is listed as an IT support worker for 23XI Racing. Otto was last listed on a NASCAR roster as the interim crew chief for Bret Holmes Racing in 2023. He is not listed on a roster this season. Although he could have a role in a shop.

Usually, in these situations, crew members will have to complete some kind of training before being reinstated. Each situation is handled differently depending on the specifics of the violation.

As far as any other penalties this week, there wasn’t much to be seen. The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series came and went without any issues. No penalties, fines, or suspensions to be given out there.

As for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, there was a single penalty. Ross Chastain had a loose lug nut on his truck after the Truck Series race. Crew chief for the No. 45 Niece Motorsports truck, Phil Gould, was fined $2,500.

There was no penalty for Corey LaJoie this week after his incident with Kyle Busch. The two drivers got into each other, and while it looked like LaJoie hooked him with a little purpose, NASCAR didn’t feel that way.

Now, NASCAR is heading to Indianapolis, bringing back the Brickyard 400 after a three-year pause.

NASCAR heading to Indy for Brickyard 400

For the first time since 2020, NASCAR is going back to the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy Road Course was not cutting it in terms of action and interest from fans. Maybe some nostalgia and a Next Gen car suited for bigger tracks will change that.

This race is the 30th anniversary of that very first Brickyard 400. While this race lost its luster over the years, NASCAR is determined to bring it back. Heading into the race, Denny Hamlin is the odds-on-favorite. But Kyle Larson isn’t too far behind in the eyes of Las Vegas.

Both Larson and Hamlin have raced on the Indianapolis oval in the past. Hamlin has the most experience in the field when it comes to the Brickyard 400. So, it makes sense for him to be seen as the favorite before the weekend.

NASCAR is going to wind back the clock and put on a show on the Indy oval. Is it going to give them what they are looking for or be another dead end?