Sunday night, after a thrilling Cup race at Talladega, NASCAR delivered shocking news with the disqualification of RFK Racing‘s Ryan Preece and Team Penske‘s Joey Logano. Both drivers faced penalties after an intense competition highlighted by Preece’s second-place finish, a mere 0.022 seconds behind winner Austin Cindric. However, post-race inspections revealed issues with the rear spoilers of their ford/”>Ford Mustangs, demoting Preece to 38th place and Logano to 39th, giving them only a single point.
Despite the unexpected setback, RFK Racing, together with Team Penske, chose not to appeal NASCAR’s decision. Penske swiftly clarified their stance, explaining,
“One of the 18 bolts on the surface of the spoiler that connect to the base was found to be loose, and NASCAR penalized the team as a result. This was not intentional and happened throughout the course of the race event. Team Penske accepts the disqualification.”
RFK Racing mirrored this sentiment in their statement:
“RFK Racing acknowledges and accepts NASCAR’s decision to disqualify the No. 60 Ford Mustang following post-race inspection at Talladega and will not appeal the ruling.”
The team further elaborated on the issue, noting,
“The infraction stemmed from an unintentional adjustment during pre-race inspection to correct a spoiler angle issue. While the change did not provide a competitive advantage, it did not meet the approved compliance method. We respect the ruling and remain committed to integrity and adherence to NASCAR’s standards.”
The disqualification resulted in significant consequences for both drivers. Preece’s fall from 12th to 18th in the regular season standings means a painful loss of his career-best finish, pushing him out of the provisional playoff grid. Meanwhile, Logano, the defending series champion, dropped from eighth to eleventh in standings, losing what would have been his first top-five finish of the 2025 season.
This incident underscores the rigors of compliance in NASCAR and the pitfalls teams must navigate. The swift acceptance of penalties by RFK Racing and Team Penske reflects a commitment to uphold NASCAR’s rules, setting an example of sportsmanship and integrity. As the season progresses, both teams will need to recalibrate and strategize carefully to regain their standing and continue pursuing success.
