In a surprising turn of events, NASCAR has dropped massive penalties on Chase Briscoe and Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) after the No. 19 Toyota Camry failed a post-race inspection following the 2025 Daytona 500. The penalty has cost Briscoe and his team a significant amount of championship points and a hefty fine for the latter, shaking up the Cup Series standings early in the season.
What Led to the Penalty and Consequences for Chase Briscoe and JGR?
Briscoe, who won the pole and finished fourth in the Daytona 500, was found to have an illegal modification on his car’s spoiler base during the post-race inspection. The specific issue involved a modified spoiler base, which is a single-source part supplied to teams and cannot be tampered with.
NASCAR enforces tight regulations to ensure all teams compete fairly, and any changes to these standardized parts are taken seriously. Such modifications are considered an attempt to gain an aerodynamic advantage, which is why Briscoe and JGR faced severe consequences.
The penalties imposed are quite heavy and significantly impact both the driver and the team. NASCAR handed down the following penalties:
• Driver Penalty: Briscoe lost 100 driver points and 10 playoff points, dropping him to 45th place in the driver standings, now sitting at -67 points.
• Team Penalty: Joe Gibbs Racing was hit with a $100,000 fine, along with a loss of 100 owner points and 10 playoff points.
• Crew Chief Suspension: Briscoe’s crew chief, James Small, has been suspended for the next four races.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Response
Joe Gibbs Racing has since announced its intention to appeal the penalty, arguing that the issue was not intentional. According to the team, the modification was caused during the assembly process, where the bolts used to attach the spoiler base caused wear on the pre-drilled holes. They claim that this was not an attempt to cheat but an unintended side effect of how the parts were put together.
Despite the appeal, it is highly unlikely that NASCAR would lift the penalties. The outcome of this appeal could determine how Briscoe and JGR move forward in the season, but as of now, the penalties stand.
What This Means for Briscoe’s Season
With so many points being deducted, Briscoe’s playoff hopes have taken a serious hit. He will now need to secure a race win or consistently finish at the top in upcoming races to recover from these penalties. Meanwhile, the team must find a way to regain its footing as it deals with the penalty and the loss of its crew chief for multiple races.
As the appeal process unfolds, all eyes will be on how this situation plays out and whether Briscoe can bounce back from this early-season setback.
