NASCAR levies major penalty against Chris Buescher, suspends crew chief for two races

While Graves' suspension is a major blow, perhaps the worst circumstance to stem from the penalty is Buescher's position in the playoff picture. Buescher was 12th in the standings following the race at Kansas, but is now 24th, 27 points below the playoff cut line. 

While that's far from must-win territory with 14 races remaining in the regular season, it's not an optimal spot to be in for a team that hasn't won a race in nearly two years. 

According to Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, the infraction dealt specifically with the front fascia of Buescher's No. 17 Ford. 

Going into the next Cup Series points race — the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25 — Buescher and the No. 17 team will have points on their mind and will have to traverse NASCAR's longest race without their crew chief atop the pit box.