Kyle Larson first to run afoul of new 2017 NASCAR rules

At least the 42 team learned the hard way during a non-points race, which may not be the case for everyone during the first part of the 2017 NASCAR season.

Let’s say your team has worked hard all winter, has a sponsor anxious to show off its increased commitment to the world, and then you go out to race and end up getting parked for a rules violation you don’t even fully comprehend. That’s not even a hypothetical situation, because it just happened Sunday to Kyle Larson during the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona.

Larson’s No. 42 CreditOne Chevy didn’t even complete the season-opening exhibition race, getting ordered off the track with 14 laps to go. AS ESPN explains, the reason was that the 42 team sent too many people over the wall to work on the car, a no-no that is now punishable by getting sent to the garage.

Crew chief Chad Johnston disagreed with the decision, and Larson appeared to not even know there was a new rule to be broken.

“I didn’t even know that was a rule,” he said to ESPN. “I guess it doesn’t really matter because it’s just an exhibition race anyways. I feel bad for our new sponsor Credit One Bank that they don’t get to be part of the last 10 laps. It’s just confusing. We know now.”

The rule is one of a number of modifications made to NASCAR’s Damaged Vehicle Policy that is in effect for all three major national series in 2017. Only six crew members are allowed to work on a damaged car on pit road (a seventh can pass items to the driver or work on the windshield), and Larson’s team allegedly used more than that.

Next: Joey Logan wins the 2017 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona

It’s never a good look when drivers and crew chiefs don’t comprehend all the new rules, but NASCAR has always been a sport where teams occasionally have to learn lessons on the fly. If anything, Larson’s early exit from the Clash should serve as a cautionary tale to the whole garage as preparation for Sunday’s Daytona 500 reaches its final stages.