NASCAR makes decision on punishment for Kyle Busch's team

This was expected.

In today's NASCAR penalty report, a very important distinction was made about Kyle Busch's team. Kyle Busch lost a tire coming out of pit road during last week's Truck Series race, and the mistake cost him a chance at winning or having a good finish at Atlanta.

NASCAR handed down suspensions for Busch's pit crew. Busch's Truck Series crew chief, Marcus Richmond, will be suspended for three races. Rear tire changer Coleman Dollarhide and jack man Ernie Pierce will also be suspended for three races. Dollarhide is the rear tire changer for Cole Custer's Xfinity Series team, while Pierce is the jack man for Clint Bowyer's team.

However, officials hinted something very important involving the suspensions. Now, it is confirmed that the suspensions will only affect the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Meaning, the crew members can still work this weekend in Las Vegas in their respective teams.

In the past, those crew suspensions would have carried over to every series, but this news was expected after chief racing development officer Steve O'Donnell said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio's "The Morning Drive" that suspensions might be limited to that series only.

"Where we took a look at that is around the rosters and the roster limitations we have on all three series," O'Donnell said via NBC Sports. "In the past, that's been something that we've had that if you were suspended for that violation it carried across all three of our national series.

"I think that's really the discussion, not so much will they be penalized — they will — it's should it just apply to the Camping World Truck Series. I think that's where we're leaning but (series officials) wanted to take the time to get through the weekend and have that dialogue internally."

According to NASCAR rules, Busch's Truck Series crew chief, Marcus Richmond, will be suspended for three races. Rear tire changer Coleman Dollarhide and jack man Ernie Pierce will also be suspended for three races. Dollarhide is the rear tire changer for Cole Custer's Xfinity Series team, while Pierce is the jack man for Clint Bowyer's team.

Related: NASCAR fans delighted as Kyle Busch suffered a huge setback with a pit road mistake