Several notable NASCAR Cup Series drivers will start from the rear of the field after unapproved adjustments for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR announced.
William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will drop to the rear because of a mechanical issue with the car’s charging system, the team announced Sunday morning. Byron had qualified ninth.
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Additionally, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Denny Hamlin and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of teammate Christopher Bell are also slated to start from the rear. Hamlin earned the Busch Light Pole Award on Saturday, while Bell qualified eighth. Fellow Toyota driver Erik Jones will also start from the rear after qualifying 10th.
On the Ford side, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric and Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry will also drop to the rear after qualifying 31st and 37th, respectively.
Separately, two teams were penalized for infractions during Saturday’s pre-race technical inspection.
The No. 17 RFK Racing Ford for driver Chris Buescher failed inspection on each of its first two attempts before passing on its third. The same occurred for the No. 44 NY Racing Chevrolet, which will be driven this week by JJ Yeley.
As a result, both teams lost pit-selection privileges for Sunday’s race. Additionally, each team’s car chief was ejected from the event. No. 17 car chief Joshua Sisco and No. 44 car chief Lee Leslie are sidelined for the race weekend.