In a shocking turn of events, Chase Briscoe, who started off the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series on a high note with Joe Gibbs Racing, found himself at the bottom of the standings. Following a successful pole position win at the Daytona 500, where he finished fourth, Briscoe faced a massive setback due to an imposed penalty from NASCAR.
The governing body of NASCAR imposed penalties on Briscoe and his #19 team after discovering an illegal modification in the spoiler of his car during a post-Daytona inspection. This resulted in a significant deduction of 100 points from both Briscoe’s driver’s and the owner’s standings. Additionally, ten playoff points were removed, a hefty fine of USD$100,000 was imposed on JGR, and Briscoe’s crew chief, James Small, was suspended for the next four races.
Upon inspection, NASCAR officials noticed that Briscoe’s #19 Toyota Camry had unusually sized holes in the spoiler base. This component, which connects to the deck lid and serves as the mount for the spoiler, is considered a “single vendor” part. This implies that it should remain identical across all cars, as it is supplied by a specific manufacturer, in this case, Roush Advanced Composites.
However, JGR plans to appeal the penalty, attributing the irregularity in the holes’ shapes to wear and tear caused by the bolts connecting the base to the deck lid. Nonetheless, the modification led to a violation of Sections 14.1.C, D, and S, and Section 14.5.8.A of NASCAR’s rulebook, which cover the overall vehicle assembly and the spoiler, respectively.
The penalty has led to a drastic tumble in the standings for Briscoe, who left Daytona with 33 points, tying him with Chase Elliott for tenth in the Cup Series standings. With the penalty, he now finds himself in the negatives with -67 points. Even a sweep of the next race at Atlanta, including recording the fastest lap, would not lift him out of negatives, as the winning driver only receives 40 points.
Briscoe has faced similar disciplinary actions in the past. In 2023, he was deducted a massive 120 points for using a counterfeit NACA duct. The penalty resulted in him finishing a disappointing 30th in points.
This incident brings to mind Michael Waltrip’s 2007 season, where he, like Briscoe, started his debut season with Toyota in negatives due to a penalty for using an illegal fuel additive in Daytona 500 qualifying.
In other news, Chevrolet seems to be the only manufacturer to have avoided a penalty after Daytona. In addition to William Byron’s second consecutive victory in the Great American Race, Chevrolet was the only brand to avoid any disciplinary action.
Ford drivers, Todd Gilliland and Cody Ware, also faced penalties, each losing ten driver and owner points as their Mustangs failed to comply with ballast installation regulations before qualifying. As a result, Gilliland now ranks 28th in the championship with ten points, while Ware, who was involved in a last-lap crash, ranks 36th with only two points.
