Three NASCAR Cup Series teams have been penalized following Saturday’s pre-race inspection at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, driven by Ross Chastain, failed inspection three times, resulting in the ejection of car chief David Fero and loss of pit-stall selection. Chastain must also drop to the rear of the field prior to the start of Sunday’s Window World 450 and serve a pass-through penalty following the green flag of Sunday’s race (7 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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Chastain, still seeking his first victory of the 2026 campaign, maintained an optimistic outlook despite the glum impact on the start of his 450-lap odyssey.
“If the car’s fast, it won’t matter,” Chastain said. “Plenty of laps, so yeah, not worried.”
Additionally, the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driven by Austin Hill and the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet driven by Connor Zilisch both failed Saturday’s inspection twice. As a result, No. 33 car chief Clay Alexander Jr. and No. 88 car chief Eddie D’Hondt Jr. were each ejected from the event, and both teams lost pit-stall selection.
Saturday’s qualifying session was canceled, so the starting lineup for Sunday’s race was set according to the NASCAR Rule Book. Ryan Blaney will lead the field to the green flag.