Inspection drama shakes up the Michigan starting grid
It is an absolute mess at Michigan International Speedway before the engines even roar for the FireKeepers Casino 400. NASCAR announced a flurry of cars heading to the rear, starting with the pole-sitter himself, Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. He is joined by his teammate Christopher Bell in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Erik Jones in his Toyota, and Austin Cindric of Team Penske, along with Wood Brothers Racing's Josh Berry.
To make matters worse, William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is also moving to the back due to a failure in the car’s charging system. It is a tough blow for a team that had qualified ninth.
If that were not enough chaos, two teams faced stiff penalties following pre-race technical inspections. The No. 17 RFK Racing Ford of Chris Buescher and the No. 44 NY Racing Chevrolet, driven by JJ Yeley, both failed inspection twice. They have lost their pit-selection privileges, and both car chiefs—Joshua Sisco for the No. 17 and Lee Leslie for the No. 44—have been ejected from the event entirely.
