NASCAR driver who was fined for absence at media event says he went home to Wisconsin to vote

AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR fined Truck Series driver Ty Majeski $12,500 for failing to show up on a content-gathering day for championship contenders Tuesday in North Carolina, but Majeski said his absence was due to voting in his home state of Wisconsin.

Majeski was docked money for "Failure to complete media obligations," which falls under NASCAR's member conduct code. All four of the championship-eligible drivers from each of NASCAR's three national series were required to attend the content day, which fell on Election Day this year.

Most drivers live in the Charlotte, N.C., area, which is viewed as the hub of NASCAR. But Majeski is still a Wisconsin resident and he felt it was more important to vote than attend the championship content day. The 30-year-old had the backing of his ThorSport Racing team owners, he said.

"I felt like I needed to do my duty as a U.S. citizen to vote, and my team owners and I ... we all made the decision to exercise that right," he said.

Majeski said he "certainly knew about" the obligation to attend the content-gathering day and added that his team made NASCAR aware he would not be attending in order to vote. "They knew our position," he said.

But NASCAR declined to excuse the absence.

Wisconsin has an absentee option available for early voters, but Majeski said he's "always, in my whole life, been an Election Day vote guy."

"I wanted to make sure my vote was counted," he said.

Majeski said ThorSport plans to appeal his penalty.

(Photo: David Jensen / )