NASCAR Penalty Report: Double Cup Series suspension confirmed

NASCAR has dropped its mid-week penalty report following the weekend's racing action at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and St. Petersburg, and it's bad news for one Cup Series driver and team.

Ross Chastain and Trackhouse Racing have found themselves facing the impact of a double suspension following an incident in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.

On lap 75 of the race, Chastain had his right-rear wheel come off his No. 1 Chevrolet, and any incidents of this nature result in a mandatory punishment from NASCAR officials both during and after an event.

It is covered by Sections 8.8.10.4 A&D in the NASCAR Rule Book, which states that a 'lost tire beyond pit road will result in [a] two race suspension for two pit crew members [and] a two-lap penalty'.

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NASCAR Cup Series team hit with double suspension

As the penalty outlines, immediately after the incident, Chastain was held in his pit box for two laps.

This massively hindered his race result, with the No. 1 Chevrolet eventually finishing 35th and two laps down on his competitors.

Now, in their mid-week penalty report, NASCAR has implemented the above rule once more, with jackman Josh Appleby and rear-tire changer Kenneth Pozega both suspended for the next two Cup Series races.

This means they will not be eligible to feature on Chastain's No. 1 crew for this weekend's event at Phoenix (March 8) or the following weekend's action at Las Vegas (March 15).

Trackhouse Racing must now find suitable replacements for the forthcoming events.

Ross Chastain's start to 2026

The above suspension impact comes after a mixed start to the season for Chastain.

At the Daytona 500, he had an average day, bringing home his No. 1 Chevrolet in 20th place, but this was followed by an excellent outing at Atlanta, where he came home third and secured plenty of important points.

Last weekend at COTA, he was excellent in qualifying, but things went wrong in the race, his wheel detaching the final nail in the coffin for a strong result in the first road course race of the year.

As a result, Chastain fell nine spots in the Cup Series standings, now sitting 20th and on 64 points heading to Phoenix.