NASCAR: What is an L1 penalty?

You’ve probably heard more than ever about an L1 penalty in the 2017 season, but what exactly is it and why does NASCAR assess one?

No major sport has more rules and regulations than NASCAR, and yet to the casual fan, it can seem like the sport’s governing body is making things up as it goes along. It’s true that various infractions and violations are subject to judgment calls on the people who run things, but NASCAR also has plenty of things spelled out for the teams and owners who compete each season.

One of the new areas of the rules was just introduced for the 2017 season and covers inspection violations. Significant penalties are split into two different categories, L1 and L2, with L2 considered more severe.

According to NASCAR.com, here are the kinds of violations found in post-race inspection that would call for an L1 penalty:

"L1 penalties concern areas of minimum heights and weights, the Laser Inspection Station (LIS), gear ratios, and flagrant lug nut violations where 17 or fewer are properly secured."

The L2 criteria were also explained:

"L2 penalties involve more egregious infractions concerning tampering with the three “no man’s land” technical areas of tires, engine and fuel. Major safety violations, the use of telemetry or traction control, plus breaches of the testing policy also fall under the L2 designation."

L1 penalties carry with them a fine (between $25,000 and $75,000), crew chief suspension ( one to three races) and the loss of 10 to 40 driver points. However, the most severe consequence of an L1 penalty comes when it is assessed to a race winner, in which case the win is considered encumbered for playoff eligibility purposes.

Next: What exactly is an encumbered race win?

As Joey Logano found out during the 2017 season, an L1 penalty is enough to put a damper on an entire season, so even though it’s not considered as serious as an L2, it can still be extremely costly. Teams should get better at avoiding them once they’ve had more experience with the current rules, but the term is something all fans are likely to hear again during 2018 and beyond — or at least until NASCAR decides to change its rules again.