NASCAR team order Richard Childress has been fined $150,000 following his altercation with Kyle Busch after the end of the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway on Saturday evening.
Childress has also been put on
NASCAR probation for the rest of the year.
The
NASCAR statement announcing the penalty said that the penalties had been applied for violating Section 12-1 - "actions detrimental to stock car racing - involved in an altercation in the garage area" - of the 2011
NASCAR rule book.
The probation covers all NASCAR-sanctioned events until December 31, including Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series races.
However, Childress has escaped being excluded from any forthcoming races, which had been seen as a possibility after
NASCAR president Mike Helton had admitted that ejecting Childress from Kansas Speedway on Sunday had indeed been considered.
In the end Childress was subjected to "territorial" limitations which essentially meant that he was kept out of pit lane and the garage area and restricted to working on and around the tean's hauler.
NASCAR said that he had been allowed to stay because "there's not a second-level authority present this weekend for his organisation" and they were worried about anyone else being able to maintain team discipline and stop any further hostilities breaking out with Busch's team.
"The penalty we have announced today for Richard Childress reflects NASCAR's response to the incident at Kansas Speedway on Saturday," said NASCAR's statement. "We feel this action is appropriate and are confident all parties involved understand our position on this matter and will move forward appropriately."
Richard Childress released a statement after the penalties were announced in which he accepted that "First of all, I'm responsible for my actions, plain and simple.
"As you know, I am a very principled person and have a passion for what we do at Richard Childress Racing. I believe passionately in defending my race teams and my sponsor partners. In this instance, I let that passion and my emotions get the best of me.
"I accept the penalty
NASCAR announced today and, as a company, we will now focus on this week's races at Pocono Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway."