NASCAR Truck Series championship contender Ty Majeski was fined $12,500 by the stock car series this week after missing media obligations to vote in his home state of Wisconsin on Election Day.
Majeski is one of four drivers who can win the truck title at Phoenix Raceway on Friday night. Majeski talked with Thorsport Racing owners and all agreed he would cast his ballot in person on Tuesday.
Majeski called the penalty "unprecedented" and said he will appeal the decision.
"I felt like I needed to do my duty as a U.S. citizen to vote. My team owners and I, we all made the decision to exercise that right," he said.
A NASCAR spokesman said the team never disclosed Majeski was not available because he was voting.
Majeski said he didn't know until last week after the race at Martinsville, when he finished 11th to advance on points, that he would be in the championship four. The 30-year-old Majeski will compete with Corey Heim, Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger in trying for his first Truck Series title.
"This has never happened before. Election Day, everyone knew it was Election Day for a long time," he said. "It's unfortunate circumstances for everybody."
Majeski said he has always been a person who votes on Election Day and has never filled out an absentee ballot.
"I wanted to make sure my vote was counted," he said.
