During inspection, four Cup Series teams failed twice and, as a result, will now be facing penalties from NASCAR. Each team will have its car chief ejected for the weekend and will also lose pit stall selection.
William Byron, Austin Cindric, Ty Dillon, and AJ Allmendinger are the four drivers facing the penalties. Their teams are going to be short-handed and at a deficit on pit road. The penalties would have been even harsher if the teams had failed a third time through inspection.
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Among the four teams facing penalties, Byron was the best in qualifying. He was 9th after his fast lap. The other three didn’t fare as well. Allmendinger was P29, Cindric P31, and Dillon P36. Their Sunday will be challenging regardless of the penalties imposed by NASCAR.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric (2) during qualifying for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
(Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
Failing inspection twice doesn’t have to be a big deal. Losing out on the car chief is tough, but it can be overcome. The one thing that might be a real detriment is having a poor pit stall selection. Whether or not a team is able to get off pit road quickly and cleanly can make or break a race.
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Christopher Bell is on the pole for the Pennzoil 400. Denny Hamlin is on the front row with Bell. It was a really good qualifying session for Toyota. Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace gave Toyota a shutout in the first two rows.
Las Vegas has delivered on the action in the Next Gen era. There have been a few great battles at this track and a couple of heated moments. The desert heat can bring out the emotions. We’ll see if drivers keep cool or if the sun gets to their heads on Sunday.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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