Ahead of the Straight Talk Wireless 500, NASCAR took strict action against Front Row Motorsports driver Zane Smith. The 312-lap race is scheduled for Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Phoenix Raceway, and the #38 Ford Mustang team was the only one to fail the pre-race inspection.
Following that, the NASCAR communications department addressed the situation in an X post, revealing the details. The post highlighted that Smith’s car was observed making an “unapproved adjustment” to the underbody during the practice/pre-qualifying session.
Thanks for the submission!
As a result, Zane Smith’s #38 Ford Mustang was inspected once again. However, the car failed again, and the governing body imposed a hefty penalty, ejecting car chief Will Norris from the Phoenix race. Additionally, Smith will start from the back of the pack and will perform a drive-through penalty during the Sunday event.
In the update, the NASCAR Communications page wrote:
“The No. 38 in the NASCAR Cup Series was observed making an unapproved adjustment to the underbody during practice/pre-qualifying adjustments. The vehicle was reinspected prior to practice/qualifying session. The No. 38 car chief (Will Norris) has been ejected from the Phoenix event. The No. 38 will start at the tail of the field and perform a drive through penalty after taking the green flag.”
Zane Smith initially qualified 24th for Sunday’s 312-mile Phoenix race. However, after NASCAR’s statement, he will be sent to the back of the pack. Additionally, the drive-through penalty will likely put him a lap down in the race.
NASCAR penalized the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series team ahead of the Phoenix race
On March 7, 2026, the governing body issued a penalty for Young’s Motorsports’ #42 entry. The team was penalized after failing the pre-race inspections at Phoenix Raceway and lost pit selection for the upcoming event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The #42 team roster features Carson Hocevar, Nick Leitz, JJ Yeley, and Nathan Byrd. Hocevar piloted the Chevy at Daytona International Speedway, followed by Leitz at EchoPark Speedway and Yeley at Circuit of the Americas.
Meanwhile, Byrd qualified 32nd for the Phoenix race in the #42 Chevy. His teammate and full-time YM driver, Ryan Ellis, failed to qualify for the race due to a rear-end issue. Despite qualifying for the Phoenix race, Byrd faced a penalty after failing pre-race inspection twice.
Reflecting on that, stock car racing analyst Matt Weaver stated:
“NASCAR O’Reilly pre-race inspection is complete at Phoenix. The (Young’s Motorsports) No. 42 failed inspection twice, and as a result the team will lose pit selection for Las Vegas, and (Interior Specialist) Joe Majenski has been ejected.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Taylor Gray clinched the pole position for the GOVX 200. Meanwhile, the 2025 Xfinity Series champion Jesse Love joined Gray on the front row with a P2 start. Additionally, Brandon Jones secured the third-place start for the 200-lap race.
Edited by Karan Yadav
