Getty NASCAR Cup Series drivers race at Kansas Speedway.
The pre-race inspection took place for the NASCAR Cup Series teams on Friday, May 12. The majority of entries passed, but two failed twice and prompted the sanctioning body to hand out penalties.
According to an announcement from NASCAR, the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD of Tyler Reddick and the No. 54 Toyota Camry TRD of Ty Gibbs failed inspection twice. As a result, both teams lost a crew member for the weekend. They also missed out on the opportunity to select a pit stall after qualifying.
While 23XI Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing both received penalties for inspection failures, they avoided a more significant problem. The No. 45 Toyota and the No. 54 Toyota both passed inspection on the third attempt, which means that Reddick and Gibbs will be able to post qualifying laps.
This session will take place on Saturday, May 13. The Cup Series drivers will practice at 10:35 a.m. ET (FS1 at 11 a.m. ET). They will then post their qualifying laps at 11:20 a.m. ET (FS1).
Gibbs Will Gain Crucial Experience at Darlington Raceway
GettyTy Gibbs will lose a car chief for the Goodyear 400.
The leader in the Rookie of the Year battle, Gibbs has made 27 total starts in the NASCAR Cup Series. The first 15 were with 23XI Racing as he replaced Kurt Busch (concussion). The rest of these starts have been with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Only one of these starts has taken place at Darlington Raceway. Gibbs competed in the 2022 Southern 500 while driving the No. 23 Monster Energy Toyota Camry TRD. Gibbs started 21st overall, and he avoided issues before finishing 15th overall.
The Goodyear 400 will now provide Gibbs with an opportunity to gain more experience at one of the hardest tracks on the NASCAR schedule. He will use The Lady in Black as a venue where he could potentially bounce back from his 34th-place finish at Kansas Speedway.
A looooong slide and a shredded tire sends Ty Gibbs to the garage early in Stage 3 at Kansas.
Gibbs was running well at the intermediate track, but he spun and made minor contact with the wall. He attempted to make his way to pit road, but he drove too fast with a blown tire. The debris shredded the right front of his No. 54 Toyota.
The situation only deteriorated from that point. Gibbs got stuck in the infield grass, but the track crew was unable to pull him out. He ultimately had to climb from the No. 54 Toyota and head to the infield care center.
Reddick Will Have Another Person Guiding His Team
GettyTyler Reddick will have a different crew chief during the Goodyear 400.
When NASCAR announced the penalties, it provided details about the crew members that it ejected. The No. 54 team lost car chief Nate Bellows for the weekend while the No. 45 team lost crew chief Billy Scott.
According to the announcement from NASCAR, 23XI Racing’s Performance Director, Dave Rogers, will serve as the crew chief for the No. 45 team during Throwback Weekend.
Rogers is no stranger to this role. He has been a crew chief for 281 total races, which includes four with Bubba Wallace in 2022. Rogers has celebrated 18 Cup Series wins as a crew chief, split between Kyle Busch (13), Denny Hamlin (two), and Carl Edwards (three).
The Goodyear 400 weekend marks the second straight event where the No. 45 team had issues during inspection. The team also failed twice during the trip to Kansas Speedway, which led to NASCAR ejecting car chief Michael Hobson for the weekend.