In a dramatic prelude to today’s Grant Park 165, NASCAR confirmed that 4, 5, 9, 10, 23, 24, 47, 48, and 78 machines will be forced to commence from the rear due to unapproved crew-issued adjustments following post-qualifying inspection. Additionally, Denny Hamlin #11 Toyota incurs the same penalty attributed to a last-minute engine change, effectively reshuffling the starting grid. The officials also outlined that these infractions breach the impound rules, which strictly prohibit mechanical changes once qualifying ends, barring NASCAR approval.
Rick Hendrick’s Hendrick Motorsports bears the brunt of this round of penalties, with both their Nos. 24 (William Byron) and 48 (Alex Bowman) brought dropped to the rear alongside #47 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) for unapproved fixes. Both Byron and Bowman encountered damage during practice and qualifying, leading the crew to perform repair work prohibited under impound regulations. As a result, their hard-earned qualifying times have been nullified, relegating them to back-of-the-pack starts.
Not to be spared, Joe Gibbs Racing’s #11 driven by Hamlin is demoted due to an engine swap, following an explosion during Saturday’s session. Meanwhile, 23XI Racing’s No. 23, piloted by Bubba Wallace, along with No. 4 (Josh Berry) and 10 (Ty Dillon) each violated impound rules with unauthorized adjustments after qualifying and will now begin the race from the tail end. NASCAR reporter Chris Knight wrote on X, “Whopping list. Probably the biggest of the year.”
Whopping list. Probably the biggest of the year. https://t.co/41Eh5bvSzs
— Chris Knight (@Knighter01) July 6, 2025
According to NASCAR regulations, once qualifying concludes, teams are prohibited from performing any mechanical or chassis adjustments unless under direct oversight, which includes modifications to suspension, body panels, or drivetrain components. This could be a huge loss for the teams just ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series’ most challenging street-course race.
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