NASCAR Cup: Pre-Race Penalties for Two Teams as Kansas Grid Changes
September 27, 2025
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Lydia Mee is a contributing sports writer located in the West Midlands, England. Her focus is on F1 and NASCAR. She has in-depth knowledge of Motorsport as a whole. Lydia joined Newsweek in March 2024, having previously written Motorsport content for Sports Illustrated. You can get in touch with Lydia by emailing, l.mee@newsweek.com. You can find her at X @LMeeMotorsport.
Lydia Mee
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Pre-race technical checks at Kansas Speedway produced sanctions for two Chevrolet entries. While it’s bad news for those teams, all 12 playoff contenders advanced without issue.
Officials flagged the No. 71 Spire Motorsports car of Michael McDowell for unapproved splitter changes as it queued for the second time for checks. The team refitted the struts and ran the car back through the Optical Scanning Station, but it failed due to these changes.
Because of this, NASCAR has ejected crew chief Travis Peterson for the remainder of the race weekend at Kansas, and McDowell will drop to the back of the grid while also being forced to perform a stop-and-go at the green. Qualifying 21st, he arrived at Kansas 25th in the drivers’ standings, outside the playoff field.
Trackhouse Racing’s No. 88, driven by Shane van Gisbergen, was also cited for making unapproved adjustments ahead of its second check. Details have yet to be confirmed on this, but crew chief Stephen Doran was ejected, and the driver will also start at the back while serving a stop-and-go penalty during the race on the opening lap. This comes after he qualified 24th and sits 15th in the drivers’ standings – again, out of the playoff field.
A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 11, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 11, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
These penalties are big hits for both teams, with them costing substantial track position. The loss of a crew chief also limits the team during its race day. On top of these penalties, the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford of Cody Ware failed twice before clearing on its third attempt. Car chief Dave Jones was still ejected, however, and the team forfeits its pit-stall selection.
Chase Briscoe will start on pole with a series-best seventh Busch Light Pole Award. Briscoe pushed past 180mph at the 1.5-mile speedway, with a lap recorded at 29.987 seconds.
NASCAR Cup Series playoff race lineup at Kansas
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (29.987 seconds)
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (30.088)
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (30.101)
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (30.157)
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (30.165)
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (30.228)
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (30.274)
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (30.289)
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (30.292)
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (30.314)
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (30.326)
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota (30.328)
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (30.335)
Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford (30.390)
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (30.391)
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (30.419)
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (30.422)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet (30.434)
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford (30.438)
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (30.452)
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (30.491)
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (30.498)
Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (30.504)
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (30.528)
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (30.566)
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (30.589)
Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford (30.592)
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (30.631)
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (30.667)
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (30.727)
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford (30.728)
Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota (30.758)
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (30.836)
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford (31.113)
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (31.538)
JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet (32.280)
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