(photo - NASCAR via Getty Images)NASCAR Tightens Lug Nut Rule, Effective Immediately April 26, 2016 NASCAR On Monday afternoon, NASCAR officials distributed a rules amendment that mandates all tire, wheels, and all five lug nuts, must be installed in a safe and secure manner at all times during all national series events. The rule previously read that all tires and wheels must be installed in a safe and secure manner, leading to some teams not installing all five lug nuts in order to save time on a pit stop, particularly at the end of the race. Many drivers were concerned about safety with less than five lug nuts on the wheels, the most outspoken being Tony Stewart who was fined $35,000 just last week for member conduct guidelines. Although NASCAR did not say specifically where Stewart crossed the line, the penalty came on the heels of interviews he had done saying the old lug nut rule was a bad one and that it compromised the safety of the drivers. In order to enforce the amended rule, NASCAR can call a car to pit road at any time to inspect for noncompliance.
