Multiple Xfinity Series Teams Fail Pre-Race Inspection at Talladega

What’s Happening?

Three cars failed pre-race inspection twice before the start of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ first race weekend at Talladega. While not the most severe of penalties, all three teams will have this carry-over into next weekend’s race in Texas.

• The entries that failed inspection are the No. 19 of Joe Gibbs Racing, the No. 31 of Jordan Anderson Racing, and the No. 99 of Viking Motorsports. As a result, all three teams will have a crew member ejected and lose pit selection next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
• These cars’ drivers are part-timers Aric Almirola, Blaine Perkins, in his first year at JAR, and Matt DiBenedetto, in his first year with the new team on the block. While the drivers are not directly affected by these failures, it’s not a great start to their weekends.
• Almirola is a former winner at Talladega in the NASCAR Cup Series. He won one of the track’s most memorable races in recent history, as the four Stewart-Haas Racing Fords led 155 of 188 laps en route to a first, second, third, and fourth place sweep. Now part-time with JGR, Almirola dominates the Xfinity Series, having won four races in 18 starts since last season.
• However, Almirola is not the only former Talladega winner in this group of three, as DiBenedetto has left the track with hardware in the past. One year after losing his Cup Series ride, DiBenedetto found himself back in the Truck Series with Rackley W.A.R. Racing. That fall, DiBenedetto broke through for an underdog victory for both him and the team at Talladega, leading just one lap.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.