During the NASCAR Cup inspection at Kansas Speedway, the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team, driven by Michael McDowell, was caught making unauthorized modifications to the splitter on their second inspection attempt. This violation led to significant consequences just before the race.
NASCAR officials observed that
“the struts were reinstalled, and the car was rerun over the OSS and failed due to the adjustment,”
revealing the extent of the infraction. As a result, crew chief Travis Peterson was ejected for the remainder of the weekend, escalating tensions around the inspections.
Penalties Affect Starting Position and Race Strategy
Michael McDowell will now start at the back of the field and must serve a stop-and-go penalty early in the race. Additionally, the team lost their ability to choose their pit stall, meaning they will be assigned whatever space remains after all other cars select theirs. McDowell entered the race positioned 25th in the championship standings, and these penalties significantly compromise his chances of improving his standing.
Other Inspection Failures and Consequences at Kansas
Aside from McDowell’s team, the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford driven by Cody Ware also experienced inspection setbacks. After failing inspection twice, the car passed on the third attempt, but the car chief, Dave Jones, was ejected from the event, and the team forfeited their pit stall selection. However, they retained eligibility to qualify for the race.
Further inspection troubles were noted in the NASCAR Xfinity Series pre-race checks on Friday, where three teams were reported to have double failures before fixing issues to pass inspection.
Inspection Controversies Cast Shadow Over Kansas Event
The string of penalties and ejections, including high-profile roles like crew chiefs and car chiefs, adds pressure and frustration to teams ahead of the Kansas race. These strict enforcement actions underline NASCAR’s commitment to regulatory compliance but also heighten tensions among competitors who face harsh sanctions that could alter race outcomes and playoff dynamics.
