NASCAR Suspends Multiple Cup Series Crew Members After COTA

What’s Happening?

Two NASCAR Cup Series crew members for Ross Chastain’s No. 1 team were suspended following the race at Circuit of the Americas

• The crew members suspended were rear-tire changer Josh Appleby and jackman Kenneth Pozega.
• They will be sidelined for two weeks, missing the races at Phoenix Raceway on March 8th and Las Vegas on March 15th.
• The penalty comes after Ross Chastain had a loose wheel at Circuit of the Americas while running 13th. On lap 75, his wheel detached from the car, bringing out a caution. Right after the incident, Chastain was also held for 2 laps as part of the penalty, as specified in the rulebook.
• Chastain ended up finishing 35th after winning stage 1 and grabbing the fastest lap of the race. The result dropped him 9 spots on the point standings. He sits 20th with 64 points, 4 behind Ryan Preece, who holds the final Chase spot for now.
• It’s the first time in the 2026 NASCAR season that crew members have been penalized for a loose wheel outside of pit road.

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