BRISTOL, Tenn. — NASCAR has penalized five Cup Series teams at Bristol Motor Speedway.
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According to a report from NASCAR Communications, five cars failed pre-race inspection two times. This group includes the No. 1 of Trackhouse Racing, No. 5 of Hendrick Motorsports, No. 41 of Haas Factory Team, No. 66 of Garage 66, and No. 71 of Spire Motorsports.
As a result, all five teams lost pit stall selection. They all lost a crew member for the remainder of the weekend.
Ross Chastain and the No. 1 team lost car chief David Fero. Kyle Larson and the No. 5 team lost car chief Jesse Saunders. Cole Custer and the No. 41 team lost car chief Scott Brewer. Chad Finchum and the No. 66 team lost car chief Dylan Roberts.
Michael McDowell and the No. 71 team kept their car chief. Instead, the team lost engineer Adam Sturgill.
All five of these drivers had the opportunity to go out for practice. McDowell led the group with the fifth-fastest time (15.462 seconds). Larson ranked 10th with a lap of 15.476 seconds. Chastain ranked 31st with a lap of 15.582 seconds.
Custer ranked 32nd with a lap of a 15.586 seconds. Finchum ranked 37th with a lap of 15.746 seconds.
Larson is the only member of this group to win a Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He captured last season's spring race after leading 411 of 500 laps. Larson also won the 2024 playoff race at the Tennessee short track after leading 462 of 500 laps.
The two-time Cup Series champion scored his first Bristol win back in 2021, his first year with Hendrick Motorsports. He won the playoff race after leading 175 of 500 laps.
McDowell's best Cup Series finish at Bristol Motor Speedway is sixth in the 2023 playoff race. Chastain's best finish at the track is sixth in the 2022 playoff race. Custer's best finish at the track is eighth in the 2022 playoff race.
Finchum only has two Cup Series starts at the track. He was involved in a crash in his first start and then he failed to finish his second due to a brake issue.
