NASCAR Cup Series teams hit with penalties ahead of Chicago race

A pair of NASCAR Cup Series teams will be at a disadvantage for the Chicago Street Race this weekend.

Two cars failed tech inspection twice ahead of Friday's qualifying (before passing on a third run through), leaving them set to lose a crew member and pit selection unless they can prove an extenuating circumstance.

The teams in question are the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing car, driven by Josh Berry, and John Hunter Nemechek's No. 42 Legacy Motor Club crew.

Nemechek is currently on the outside of the playoffs looking in, and in desperate need of a victory to snatch a playoff spot away from one of the drivers currently in on points alone.

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Two teams set for Cup Series penalty

However, while Berry sits 19th in the points standings, his first career Cup Series win at Las Vegas means that he'll be racing in the postseason no matter what.

The action at Chicago this weekend comes after a trip to Atlanta last time out, where Chase Elliott locked himself into the playoffs with his first race win of the year.

Alex Bowman won last year's race around the streets of Chicago, snapping an 80-race winless streak and locking himself into the playoffs – with a number of winless drivers hoping to do the same this Sunday.

However, they'll have to cope with last year's polesitter Kyle Larson, who was fastest in qualifying in 2024 (before wrecking out in the race, but who wants to think about that?)

READ MORE: NASCAR confirm Cup Series driver will MISS Chicago race

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