Hendrick Motorsports Faces Penalties Ahead of Pennzoil 400
LAS VEGAS – Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet team, driven by William Byron, is among four teams facing penalties after failing pre-race inspection multiple times ahead of the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The penalties, issued by NASCAR on Saturday, also affect teams fielding cars for Austin Cindric, Ty Dillon, and AJ Allmendinger.
Inspection Failures Lead to Car Chief Ejections
According to NASCAR officials, the car chiefs for each of the four teams failed pre-race inspection twice during the Las Vegas race weekend. Eric Bailey (No. 2 Team Penske Ford – Austin Cindric), Troy Lankford Jr. (No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet – Ty Dillon), Jaron Antley (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet – AJ Allmendinger), and Jacob Bowman (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – William Byron) were ejected for the remainder of the weekend. Yahoo Sports reported on the penalties.
Pit Selection Lost
In addition to the car chief ejections, all four teams will lose their pit selection privileges for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube. Despite the initial failures, all four cars successfully passed inspection on a subsequent attempt and were permitted to qualify for the race. A third inspection failure would have resulted in a drive-through penalty at the start of the race.
Byron’s Previous Success at Las Vegas
William Byron enters the race weekend with a strong track record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, having won the spring race at the 1.5-mile track in 2023. NASCAR.com highlights Hendrick Motorsports’ memorable wins, including Byron’s victory.
Race Details
Christopher Bell will lead the field to green for the Pennzoil 400, having won the pole in Cup Series qualifying on Saturday. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin will start alongside him on the front row. The race is scheduled for Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Hendrick Motorsports Updates
Recent news from Hendrick Motorsports includes the unveiling of the Atrium Health Motorsports Athletic Center on the team’s campus on January 23, 2026. Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon were present for the unveiling. Hendrick Motorsports also announced that Goodyear will present a Gold Car to 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.