The most recent winner at Phoenix Raceway and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott will start from the rear of the field for Sunday’s Instacart 500 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Elliott, who won the fall race at the 1-mile track to clinch his title, was slated to start sixth but will drop to the rear for unapproved adjustments.
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Quin Houff and the No. 00 StarCom Racing Chevrolet team will also drop to the rear for unapproved adjustments. Houff was scheduled to start 35th.
Two of Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Kyle Larson and William Byron, will also drop to the rear after failing pre-race inspection twice on Saturday night. Larson and Byron are the series’ two most recent winners at Las Vegas and Miami, respectively. Larson was set to start second, while Byron was slated to start 10th.
Cody Ware’s No. 51 Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet will also have to go to the back. The No. 53 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet will also go to the rear for a driver change as Garrett Smithley will now be behind the wheel. Ware was set to start 31st, while Smithley was going to start 34th.
The race at Phoenix is the series’ fifth points-paying event of the 2021 season. Brad Keselowski is on the pole for Sunday’s race. Joey Logano is the defending winner at the 1-mile track.