Martin Truex Jr. has been penalized 20 driver and owner points in addition to having the spoiler of his No. 19 Toyota confiscated after failing pre-race inspection on Sunday (Oct. 25) at Texas Motor Speedway. His team has also been levied a $35,000 fine.
Truex’s crew chief James Small has also been ejected from the facility as a result. Truex will forfeit his sixth starting spot for Sunday’s event and start the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 from the rear of the field.
NEWS: NASCAR confiscates spoiler of the No. 19 car following pre-race inspection failure at @TXMotorSpeedway.
The car will lose 20 owner and driver points and start at the rear of the field today. Crew chief James Small will also be ejected. pic.twitter.com/R6QKOACPW0
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 25, 2020
The move could be devastating to the 2017 Cup Series champion’s chance to make this year’s Championship 4. Truex now sits 43 points below the cutline and almost certainly needs a win to advance.
The failed inspection also continues a recent history of them for Joe Gibbs Racing, especially during the playoffs. It’s the 18th time this season they’ve failed pre-race with one of their Toyotas; for Truex, it’s the fourth such failure in 2020.
Sunday’s Texas Cup Series event begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage will also be provided by SIRIUS XM 90 and your local PRN affiliate.
Brad joined Frontstretch.com in 2020 and contributes to the site's 5 Points To Ponder column and other roles as needed. A graduate of the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he has covered sports in some capacity for more than 20 years with coverage including local high school sports, college athletics and minor league hockey. Brad has received multiple awards for his work from the Georgia Press Association.
Since Truex was 31 points beneath the cut line before the penalty, my arithmetic says he’s now 51 points below. Is there some special math for JGR cars that causes the author to put him 43 points behind?
Truex was 23 points behind Golden Boy and now is 43 points out. 4051 and 4074.
It’s that common core math they teach now.
Shocker!!!! Says no one ever…….
So what! He’ll drive through the field like a hot knife through butter and probably win. There should be a drive-through penalty after two laps and not eligible for a free pass.
The current inspection rules are just idiotic. Fail three inspections and go to the rear. Then they go to the rear with their failed part still on the car and win the race. Where’s the justice in that? If they fail pre-race they should be disqualified…period.
The article said NASCAR confiscated the Spoiler. Nothing about it being reinstalled on the race car.