Chris Buescher docked 60 points for bumper violation

NASCAR penalized Cup Series driver Chris Buescher 60 points Thursday for an improper front bumper assembly in Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway.

The RFK Racing driver dopped from 12th to 28th in the season standings as a result, leaving him 226 points behind leader William Byron.

Buescher's No. 17 Ford Mustang was inspected following his eighth-place finish in Kansas and officials determined that the car exceeded the maximum reinforcement allowed for the front bumper cover.

Buescher's team also was fined $75,000 and crew chief Scott Graves was suspended for two races.

Buescher, 32, only has one top-five finish through 13 starts this year, a fifth-place showing at Phoenix on March 9.

He has six career wins in the Cup Series, most recently at Watkins Glen last September.