NASCAR Inspection Violations: Two Car Chiefs Ejected Ahead of Iowa Cup Race

Early Setbacks at Iowa: Car Chiefs Sent Packing for RFK and Front Row Motorsports

The intensity of the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season run-in ramped up at Iowa Speedway this weekend, and two teams are already on the back foot before the green flag even drops. Both the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford driven by Ryan Preece and the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford of Todd Gilliland failed pre-race technical inspection twice on Saturday, triggering immediate penalties from NASCAR officials.

As a result of the repeated inspection failures, RFK car chief Jerry Cook and Front Row car chief Joe Marra have been ejected from the garage area for the remainder of the race weekend. In addition to losing key crew personnel, both organizations have forfeited their right to pit stall selection—a significant strategic disadvantage on Iowa’s demanding short track.

Fortunately for both outfits, they managed to pass inspection on their third attempt, narrowly escaping an even harsher drive-through penalty that would have been served at the green flag.

Playoff Hopes Dented for Ryan Preece

For Ryan Preece and the No. 60 RFK Racing squad, the weekend's technical hurdles could not have come at a worse time. With only four races remaining in the regular season, Preece arrives in Iowa sitting 38 points outside of the top 16 in the driver standings, and 13 points below the cut line in the owner standings.

To make matters worse, Preece struggled during Saturday's on-track sessions. The No. 60 Ford showed a lack of pace in practice and ultimately qualified a disappointing 35th. This stands in stark contrast to his performance at the track last year, where he secured a strong fifth-place finish. Preece is still searching for his first top-five finish of the current season and will have to work his way up from the back of the pack without his car chief on the pit box.

Gilliland Seeks to Rebound

On the other side of the penalty, Todd Gilliland and the Front Row Motorsports team fared slightly better in qualifying. Gilliland secured the 17th starting spot for Sunday's race, putting him in a much stronger position than Preece to manage the setback.

Gilliland and the No. 34 team have already shown flashes of brilliance this year, notably taking home the $1 million prize for winning the In-Season Challenge at Indianapolis. Despite the loss of Joe Marra and their preferred pit stall, the team remains optimistic about fighting their way back into contention on race day.