NASCAR Cup Series Driver Penalized, Starting Lineup Updated for Darlington Race Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports faces a penalty that will significantly alter his starting position for Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Originally qualified 16th, Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet will be moved to the rear of the field following a control arm adjustment made by the team. This penalty places him 36th in the 37-car grid, positioning him on the outside lane of the egg-shaped oval. The penalty will shift the starting positions of drivers who were originally behind Hocevar on the outside lane. Those drivers will move up one row (two positions) in the lineup. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of Hyak Motorsports, who was slated to start 18th, will now begin in 16th place. Drivers on the inside lane will not see any changes due to Hocevar’s penalty. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota Justin Allgaier, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota John Hunter Nemechek, No.#nascar_cup_series #carson_hocevar #spire_motorsports #darlington_raceway #goodyear_400
Carson Hocevar will begin Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway from the rear of the grid due to an unapproved adjustment made by his team. The No. 77 Chevrolet’s upper control arm was replaced, a change not permitted by NASCAR rules, according to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. Hocevar was originally scheduled to start in Row 8 alongside Justin Allgaier but will now attempt to work his way up the track in what is expected to be a competitive race. The race marks the first time Darlington will use the new short track package, which includes 750 horsepower, a three-inch rear spoiler, and fewer diffuser strakes. Tire strategy will play a significant role, as it has been 18 years since the track’s last repave. Teams will have access to 12 sets of Goodyear tires for the weekend. The left-side tire, used at Darlington last season, will be paired with the right-side tire, which debuted at Kansas Speedway in September. Some drivers, including Denny Hamlin, have speculated that tire degradation could result in a four-second loss over the course of the race. Darlington, traditionally associated with Throwback Weekend, will not feature official throwback paint schemes this season. However, Hocevar’s team chose to run a Dale Earnhardt-inspired design, replicating the iconic blue and yellow livery from the 1981 season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. praised the scheme, calling it his favorite ever used by his father during his Hall of Fame career. “This is my favorite Dale Earnhardt paint scheme,” Earnhardt said on his podcast, “Dale Jr. Download.” He highlighted the 1981 car, noting its underrated status and the vintage appeal of its yellow nose and vintage stripes. “It’s straight badass vintage,” he added.#carson_hocevar #darlington_raceway #bob_pockrass #dale_earnhardt_jr #goodyear
Christopher Bell Acknowledges Struggles as Team Faces Challenges in NASCAR Cup Series Christopher Bell, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, has admitted that his team is struggling to find consistency early in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. After three races, Bell sits 24th in the standings with just 59 points, trailing leader Tyler Reddick by a significant margin of 127 points. Despite the slow start, Bell remains focused on improving, acknowledging that the new championship format places greater emphasis on consistent performance rather than a single race win. Bell’s performance in the 2026 Daytona 500 highlighted both his potential and the challenges his team faces. He started near the front but encountered issues that dropped him to 35th place. At Atlanta, where he had previously won, a collision with Carson Hocevar sent his car into the wall, resulting in a P21 finish. However, the team showed signs of progress at COTA, where a strategic tire call during a late caution allowed Bell to surge from 16th to third place. The 34 points earned from that finish lifted him seven positions in the standings, but Bell emphasized that the current format requires more than a single strong showing. “The cool thing about this format is the upped points for wins,” Bell said. “That’s a big reason why I’m 100 points out and not less than that. It gives teams the opportunity to make up more points than we’ve had in the past if you’re able to win. But it’s still too early to know if we’re going to have a shot at the regular-season championship or not.” Bell’s team has yet to secure points during stages or at the finish line in the first three races, which has left them without a strong foundation in the standings. While Bell admitted the start of the season has been frustrating, he remains determined to turn things around.#tyler_reddick #joe_gibbs_racing #chris_ted_bell #daytona_500 #carson_hocevar
