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On Sunday evening following the Cup race at Talladega, NASCAR surprised fans and teams alike by disqualifying RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece and Team Penske’s Joey Logano. Preece, who initially secured a close second-place finish—just 0.022 seconds behind Austin Cindric—saw his position altered in the aftermath of the race. Logano, who originally finished fifth, was also affected by the ruling.
Both competitors faced disqualification due to issues with the rear spoilers on their Ford Mustangs. Consequently, Preece’s official finish was downgraded to 38th place while Logano was assigned 39th, both earning just one point for their respective performances.
Team Penske promptly accepted NASCAR’s findings and opted against appealing the decision. In a statement, they emphasized that the disqualification was unintentional, attributing it to a loose bolt on the rear spoiler. “One of the 18 bolts on the surface of the spoiler that connect to the base was found to be loose, leading to NASCAR’s penalty,” said a representative from Penske. “This was not intentional and occurred during the race event itself. Team Penske accepts the disqualification.”
RFK Racing’s Response
RFK Racing also announced that they would not challenge the disqualification, sharing their own statement on Monday. “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 said.
The statement elaborated, stating that the issue originated from an unintended adjustment made during pre-race inspection to rectify a spoiler angle problem. While the team asserted that this change did not confer a competitive advantage, it nonetheless failed to meet the approved compliance standards. “We respect the ruling and remain committed to integrity and adherence to NASCAR’s standards,” they added.
The fallout from the disqualification impacted Preece’s standing significantly, dropping him from 12th to 18th in the regular season standings. This loss marked a disappointing end to what had been a career-best finish for him, placing him outside of the provisional playoff grid. Logano, on the other hand, dropped from eighth to eleventh in the rankings, losing what would have been his first top-five finish of the 2025 season as the defending series champion.
As the season continues, both teams will be looking to rebound and ensure compliance with NASCAR’s regulations, striving for better outcomes in upcoming races.
In this article:
NASCAR Cup
Joey Logano
Ryan Preece
Team Penske
Roush Fenway Racing
Source
www.motorsport.com