In a significant development during the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Erik Jones, driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), was disqualified following the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway. Originally finishing fourth, Jones’ car failed the post-race inspection due to rear-wheel alignment issues, leading to his relegation to a last-place finish.
The disqualification stemmed from the vehicle failing the Optical Scanning Station (OSS) inspection, which detected deviations in the rear toe alignment beyond NASCAR’s permissible limits. Jay Fabian, NASCAR’s Cup Series director, emphasized the critical nature of rear-wheel alignment, noting its impact on downforce and aerodynamic performance. He stated, “Rear-wheel steer and alignment is a critical factor in downforce, and it’s an aero benefit to get more skew in the rear, so we keep those parameters pretty tight so everybody is racing with the same thing.”
This marked the first disqualification in the Cup Series under NASCAR’s revised policy implemented in 2019, which mandates the exclusion of race winners and other competitors who fail at-track post-race inspections. Prior to this, similar penalties had been enforced in the Xfinity and Truck Series.
The penalty significantly impacted Jones’ playoff standings, dropping him to 16th among the 16 playoff drivers and placing him 44 points below the cutoff line for advancing to the next round. This deficit rendered his progression contingent upon a victory at the upcoming race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
Joe Gibbs Racing, which had initially celebrated a 1-2-3-4 finish at Richmond, saw this achievement nullified by the disqualification. Jimmy Makar, JGR’s Senior Vice President of Racing Operations, indicated that the team did not intend to appeal the decision.
This incident underscored NASCAR’s commitment to maintaining a level playing field through stringent technical regulations and served as a cautionary tale for teams regarding the importance of compliance with the sport’s technical standards.
