NASCAR penalizes 3 teams for wheel failures at Texas
NASCAR penalized three teams for wheel failures that happened throughout the Cup and Xfinity Series weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, the sanctioning body suspended these crew members on the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team for two races:
- Jackman Josh Sobecki
- Rear tire changer Michael Johnson
On lap 43 of the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, Austin Dillon had a right-rear tire come loose entering turn three. Dillon’s No. 3 car spun and slammed, driver’s side first, into the outside wall.
At Talladega and the Charlotte Roval, Garrett Crall will fill in for Josh Sobecki. Shiloh Windsor will fill in for Michael Johnson.
MORE: Richard Childress Racing cars wreck out in stage one at Texas
Just 13 laps later, the left-rear tire broke free from Todd Gilliland’s No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford exiting turn two.
Gilliland spun but his car didn’t hit anything. However, with the loose wheel, crews refused to tow the car back to pit road – ruling Gilliland out of the race.
Gilliland and Dillon finished 35th and 36th respectively.
Now, Rick Ware Racing will be without these two crew members for two races:
- Jackman Matthew Schlytter
- Rear tire changer Coleman Dollarhide
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the sanctioning body also suspended jackman Justin Clapper and rear tire changer Dakota Bonds. They work on the No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing team.
Jeb Burton broke a hub just before halfway in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300. Burton spent time in the garage before coming onto the track and breaking the track bar.
Burton finished 31st, out of the race, and is -19 points to the cutline entering the cutoff race at the Charlotte Roval next Saturday, October 7.
Rick Ware Racing and Jordan Anderson Racing have yet to announce who will in for their suspended crew members.
MORE: 3 NASCAR Xfinity drivers now locked into Round of 8, cutline tightens
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com