NASCAR catches Kaulig Racing making unapproved adjustments, ejects car chief

The Kaulig Racing team was forced to go back through inspection and have been penalized

While A.J. Allmendinger hoped to carry the momentum from a fourth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 into Nashville, things are off to a difficult start for the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.

While sitting on pit road in preparation for practice, NASCAR officials demanded the car be brought back to the garage. A crew member messing with the splitter caught the eye of officials who saw something they did not like. Officials suspected that the team had made unapproved adjustments to the splitter after pre-qualifying inspection.

AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

To make matters worse, the car failed on its first trip through the inspection after being brought back to the garage, confirming NASCAR's suspicions. The team was scrambling to make the changes NASCAR wanted as practice rapidly approached.

They finally passed on the second attempt, but officials held the car for the first ten minutes of of the 25-minute Group B practice as a result.

In the hours that followed, NASCAR has announced that the team has lost pit stall selection for Sunday's race and will be sent to the rear of the field. He had originally qualified in 17th on the 39-car grid. Car Chief Jaron Antley has also been ejected from the track for the remainder of the weekend and his hard card was confiscated by series officials.

And when the race begins, Allmendinger will be forced to perform a stop-and-go penalty under green flag conditions.

"It's just a part of NASCAR life," Allmendinger told on NASCAR on Prime. "NASCAR saw something they didn't like when we were sitting there, we had to go back, (and) my guys did a good job. We got back through there...only lost 10 or 12 minutes of practice, and the way these practices work, you almost run out of tire anyway so it's not like you gotta be out there for 25 minutes."

The veteran driver entered this race 18th in the championship standings, just 13 points below the cut-line. Kaulig is winless through the first 13 races of the 2025 season with their best showing coming just last weekend with Allmendinger's top five finish in the 600.