Getty Brad Keselowski's entry failed inspection twice at Richmond Raceway.
The NASCAR Cup Series takes on Richmond Raceway on August 14 as drivers fight for the final playoff spot. Five teams will enter shorthanded after multiple pre-race inspection failures.
NASCAR announced on August 13 that five teams had failed inspection two times each and lost their pit stall selection. This list includes the No. 6 Ford Mustang of RFK Racing, the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro of Kaulig Racing, the No. 17 Ford Mustang of RFK Racing, the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro of Kaulig Racing, and the No. 38 Ford Mustang of Front Row Motorsports. All entries passed on the third attempt.
Along with the loss of pit stall selection, each team had a crew member ejected. The No. 6 lost car chief Nick Case, the No. 16 lost car chief Andy Suess, the No. 17 lost engineer Travis Peterson, the No. 31 lost car chief Jaron Antley, and the No. 38 lost car chief Lucas Tucker.
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Brad Keselowski Still Secured a Strong Qualifying Spot
GettyBrad Keselowski races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Kohler Generators Ford.
The multiple inspection failures meant that the teams missed out on selecting their pit stalls. However, the drivers were all able to take part in qualifying while fighting for a starting spot in the top 10. The only driver who did not post a qualifying lap was BJ McLeod in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford. He did not go out during the opening round.
Keselowski, in particular, took advantage of the ability to qualify. He posted a fast enough lap to secure a spot in the final round. He then turned in the eighth-fastest lap at 23.255 seconds and 116.104 mph. Keselowski will line up on the fourth row next to Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer.
This starting position is important for Keselowski considering that he hasn’t lined up inside the top 10 since the July 17 trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway when he started ninth overall. Keselowski turned that strong starting position into a seventh-place finish and now he will set out to secure his third career win at Richmond Raceway.
The Other Drivers Are Further Back in the Starting Order
GettyTodd Gilliland races during the Ruoff Mortgage 500.
Keselowski will have the best starting position of the drivers that dealt with pre-race inspection issues. The other four will start near the middle of the pack, starting with Todd Gilliland in the eighth row.
Chris Buescher, the driver of the No. 17, will line up just behind Gilliland’s No. 38 Ford. He will join Team Penske’s Joey Logano on the ninth row while Noah Gragson will line up on the 10th row while making his eighth start in the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro.
Justin Haley, the driver of the No. 31, will have the worst starting position out of this group. He will line up on the 14th row next to Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware after posting a 23.539-second lap at 114.703 mph.
The Cup Series drivers will try to make some moves early after lining up further back than they intended. They will take on Richmond Raceway at 3 p.m. ET while USA Network provides coverage for the 400-lap race.
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