Overview
- Both the No. 20 of Christopher Bell and the No. 51 of Cody Ware failed NASCAR’s pre-race technical inspection twice on Friday and then passed on a third attempt.
- Joe Gibbs Racing car chief Clay Chris Sherwood and Rick Ware Racing car chief Dave Jone were removed from the facility for the rest of the Richmond weekend and each team forfeited its pit-stall selection.
- NASCAR’s policy would have forced an end-of-line start and a drive-through penalty after a third failed inspection, but both cars avoided that escalation by clearing inspection on the third try.
- Bell, who qualified eighth, will race without his car chief and without pit-stall choice, and he also withdrew from a postponed Truck Series start on Saturday with Leland Honeyman Jr. taking his place.
- Losing a car chief reduces a team’s race-day leadership and losing pit-stall selection is especially costly at Richmond’s short track because stall location can change the speed and timing of pit stops and on-track position.