Now that I'm in front of a computer ... from my understanding of the whole Hickory situation, Brown was found to be illegal in tech, but the DQ has essentially been overturned by Kevin Piercy.
It's not unprecedented though. Back in 2014, Haley Moody was found wrong in tech after a Late Model race and the DQ was ultimately a championship deciding call. Michael Diaz, who managed tech that night because his tech people were at Pulaski, was the one who called her wrong. (She came across light because of fuel.) However, when he found out that tech had been letting drivers slide all year on fuel, he overturned the penalty and allowed Haley to keep her points.
As for Hickory, these accusations have simmered for years involving Matt Piercy's team. Matt won a championship several years ago and the legitimacy of it was called into question by most racers at the track.
Track owners' kids racing at their track is nothing new, but the type of shenanigans Hickory is accused of aren't as prevalent at other tracks - mainly because those other tracks realize the optics and are very transparent. Michael Diaz one time, had his son's motor torn down in the open, on pit road, in front of the other teams and fans.
If there was transparency at Hickory, which there isn't, and the process truly is fair and honest, there would be no questions.