Shafer, MBM penalized for shifter boot issue after Indianapolis Raceway Park DNQ
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 31, 2026
MBM Motorsports penalty
NASCAR penalized MBM Motorsports’ No. 69 entry after last weekend’s Craftsman Truck Series event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and the sanction came after pre-qualifying inspection found a shifter boot safety violation. The issue fell under Rule Book Sections 14.2.3.6 A and B, and it turned a failed qualifying effort into a bigger setback for the organization.
The No. 69 entry did not make the race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, then NASCAR handed down a $5,000 fine and a 25-point deduction in owner points. The penalty also carried a 25-point deduction for Jonathan Shafer in driver points. That left MBM Motorsports at minus-14 owner points and Shafer at minus-25 driver points.
Jonathan Shafer points
Jonathan Shafer drove MBM Motorsports’ No. 69 entry last weekend, and the post-inspection penalty attached to his name as well as the team’s. The truck never reached the race field, and the official report added another layer to a difficult weekend for the No. 69 program.
Shafer’s driver points total dropped to minus-25 after NASCAR issued the sanction. The owner points loss pushed MBM Motorsports to minus-14, a number that reflects how sharply the penalty landed on the entry. The facts point to a straightforward sequence. The team arrived at Indianapolis Raceway Park, the pre-qualifying inspection turned up the shifter boot issue, the truck failed to qualify and the penalty followed in NASCAR’s weekly report. No other penalties came out of that report, which left the No. 69 entry as the only team cited.
For Shafer, the result ties his weekend performance to the rule book in a direct way. He took the wheel of the MBM truck, but the entry never advanced into the race. The inspection finding and the qualifying miss came together before the points deduction arrived. That sequence made the weekend a short one on track and a costly one in the standings. NASCAR’s report did not add any other discipline, so the penalty to MBM and Shafer stood alone.
Truck Series outlook
The Truck Series season is scheduled to resume at Richmond Raceway, and two races remain before the 10-driver Chase field is set. That gives the series a clear next step after the Indianapolis Raceway Park weekend, with the schedule moving forward after the latest round of penalties.
NASCAR’s weekly report listed no other penalties, which kept the focus on the MBM Motorsports case. The No. 69 entry’s shifter boot violation became the only item of note from the report, and it carried both financial and points consequences. MBM Motorsports must absorb the $5,000 fine and the owner-point hit, while Shafer faces the driver-point deduction that came with the same ruling.
The season’s stretch run now shifts to Richmond Raceway, where the Truck Series resumes with the Chase picture still taking shape. With two races left before the 10-driver field is finalized, every entry in the series has a limited number of chances to add points and improve position. The MBM penalty did not change the calendar, but it did change the numbers attached to the No. 69 team and to Shafer.
