NASCAR Cup Series team hit with double penalty ahead of Dover

NASCAR has announced a double penalty for a Cup Series team following an incident at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday.

Shane van Gisbergen went on to win the 110-lap event in California, but on lap 96, disaster struck for Cody Ware, with the No. 51 losing one of its wheels shortly after a pit stop.

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Fortunately, the tire and the rest of the cars on track avoided any contact, although there was an extremely close call between the marauding rubber and the No. 42 of John Hunter Nemechek.

Following the incident, Ware returned to pit road, for which he was given a tail-end penalty for doing so whilst it was closed, and lost two laps under NASCAR's rules.

A caution that could change everything! @shanevg97's lead is wiped away late because of this wheel from the No. 51! pic.twitter.com/wLF3MVqgVy

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 13, 2025

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NASCAR confirm penalty for No. 51 team

Following the above safety violation, NASCAR has now confirmed that the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing team have been hit with two suspensions to their crew under Section 8.8.10.4.C (Tires and Wheels) of the NASCAR Rule Book.

Crew members Marquill Osborne and De'Quan Hampton will now miss the next two Cup Series championship events, including this weekend's action at Dover Motor Speedway and the following weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

NASCAR's decision on the matter follows the previous precedent they have set when wheels have come loose from cars this season.

Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team, for example, lost two crew members for multiple races after March's race at COTA after Larson lost a wheel during that event.

The same punishment was also handed out to Shane van Gisbergen and the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing team following their loss of a wheel at Martinsville earlier this campaign.

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