What’s Happening?

If there’s one thing that can really put a damper on a driver’s race it’s pit road penalties. Sometimes these careless mistakes made by crew members and/or drivers put the driver and team in a deep deficit that is nearly impossible to climb out of. The 2024 Daytona 500 was unusually heavy when it came to penalties and we, here at The Daily Downforce, thought it would be nice to compile a list of all the penalties issued throughout the 2024 running of the Great American Race. So, with no further ado, this is that list.

John Hunter Nemechek

The first driver to be nabbed by the pit road police was the Legacy Motor Club driver of the No. 42 Toyota, John Hunter Nemechek. The penalty was for pulling into the wrong pit box is considered a safety issue. The price of such a penalty is a pass-through down pit road under green or, if under caution, having to restart at the tail-end of the pack.

Riley Herbst

Also nabbed by the NASCAR officials was Stewart-Haas Racing developmental driver, Riley Herbst. Herbst was issued a False Start penalty. In NASCAR, a false start is when a driver passes cars and lines up to restart several positions ahead of where they are being scored. This happened in the chaotic aftermath of the opening Big One as drivers scrambled to get in line.

William Byron

William Byron was also penalized for unapproved vehicle interference during a pit stop. This resulted in Byron having to restart at the tail-end of the field.

Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch was issued a penalty for an undisclosed safety violation. This resulted in Busch having to serve a pass-through penalty and restart in the back of the pack.

If there ever was such a thing as a silver lining in getting a penalty, Busch did not get all the fuel from the fuel cans packed in the car. The No. 8 team used this opportunity to top their tank off with fuel.

Ryan Preece

In the second stage of the race, during green-flag pit stops, the driver of the No. 41 Fort Mustang Dark Horse, Ryan Preece, was nabbed for speeding while getting onto pit road. The penalty resulted in a pass-through under green. He did go a lap down.

Conclusion

It’s common for penalties to be an issue for drivers and teams when they’re coming back from a long offseason. When the 2024 Daytona 500 initially started, the penalties were common but as the race wore on to just past halfway, they almost all entirely fell away as teams dusted off their cobwebs and got back into the swing of things. What do you think, Daily Downforce readers? What is the most egregious penalty you remember NASCAR calling? Let us know and we might make a fun little list discussing the craziest ones.