Once again, a couple of NASCAR Cup Series teams had trouble getting through pre‑race inspection at Richmond Raceway; the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Christopher Bell and the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet driven by Cody Ware.
Both cars failed twice but passed on their third attempt. An additional failure would have forced an end‑of‑line starting position and a drive‑through penalty after the green flag, yet both teams avoided it.
Consequently, JGR car chief Clay Chris Sherwood and RWR car chief Dave Jone were ejected from the facility for the remainder of the weekend.
Both lose pit stall selection, receiving whatever two stalls remain after the rest of the field chooses. This affects Ware less, as he did not qualify after a practice spin, but could be costly for Bell, who qualified eighth.
Ryan Blaney secured pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond, marking his fourth pole this season and a career‑high for the No. 12 Team Penske Ford as it leads the field to the green flag.
Bell’s weekend was also marred by an earlier postponement of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday night, caused by inclement weather, which forced him to withdraw; he will be replaced by Leland Honeyman Jr. in the No. 62 Toyota.