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NASCAR Punishes Michael McDowell After Inspection Failure at Kansas

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Gowtham Ramalingam | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 2:09 PM ET

Spire Motorsports driver Michael McDowell has been hit with a big blow even before he got to qualify for Sunday’s Cup Series race at the Kansas Speedway. His Spire Motorsports crew made an unapproved adjustment to the splitter of his No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro after passing inspection on Saturday.

This was observed by the officials, who sent the car back in for reinspection. The car failed to tick all the boxes, and the adjustment came to light. This is a rather embarrassing moment for the team.

NASCAR said, “On their second attempt through inspections after passing all stations, they were observed making an unapproved adjustment to the splitter. The struts were reinstalled, and the car was rerun over the USS and failed due to the adjustment.” This spells a lot of trouble for the driver and his team.

Trouble for Spire Motorsports driver Michael McDowell in Cup Series inspection.

NASCAR says: "On their secnd attempt through inspections after passing all stations, they were observed making an unapproved adjustment to the splitter. The struts were reinstalled, and the car was…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 27, 2025

The promotion laid out a list of punishments that are sure to affect performance during the race. First, crew chief Travis Paterson will not be allowed to serve his role on Sunday. Second, the team has lost the right to pit selection. And finally, McDowell will have to start the race from the rear and will also have to serve a stop-and-go penalty.

Despite being sent to the rear of the field, McDowell will attempt a qualifying lap around the track. This is because the tires used during qualification are used as a set of scuffs during the race. He would have an extra set of stickers if he didn't do the lap.

Cody Ware Fails Inspection Twice

Notably, Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 crew failed inspection twice. Cody Ware’s crew member, Dave Jones, has been ejected from the event as well. The team has also lost pit selection privileges. Ware is yet to secure a top-10 finish this season. His best result of 13th place came at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The upcoming race is the second of the Cup Series playoffs’ Round of 12. These penalties would have been disastrous for their hopes had McDowell or Ware been in contention for the championship.

Regardless, it is still a disappointment that one of their chances to secure a top finish before the season ends has taken a blow. Hopefully, they will be able to bounce back from the setback.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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