NASCAR Bristol Race: Larson and Reddick Cleared, Five Teams Penalized in Pre-Race Inspections

The NASCARCup Series took to Bristol Motor Speedway this past weekend, and the lineup finished to race penalty-free. At least, this was penalty-free for any future racing. NASCAR officials sent Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick’s cars to the R&D Center. Reports Tuesday evening confirm that upon stripping the cars down, no issues were found and they were cleared; good-to-go.

Despite no major penalties being rung down, the race had its fair share of incidents, as is always the case.

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Larson and Reddick Clear Research and Development

As is common, NASCAR sent two cars to its R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina. Sometimes, NASCAR does this purely for learning. Other times, they speculate on certain issues, and more often, they want to inspect issues that are on track. They must undergo monitoring at the R&D Center.

Both cars passed inspection and are scot-free as they enter Kansas this weekend.

Pre-Race Inspection Failures

Pre-race inspections have been an issue all year, and five teams were penalized for those issues ahead of the Bristol race. The drivers included: Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, Ross Chastain, Cole Custer, and Chad Finchum. All but McDowell lost their car chiefs and pit selection — McDowell lost his engineer.

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Pit Road Penalties

This week, the speeding violators included Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, John Hunter Nemechek, Tyler Reddick, and Brad Keselowski. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. endured a safety violation, while McDowell had too many crew members over the wall on lap 255. On lap 131, Zane Smith had “equipment interference.”

Truck Series: Christian Eckes Reprimanded

Nearing the end of Saturday’s Truck race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Eckes clipped Corey Heim entering turn one. The incident was touchy-feely, prompting fans to debate whether the contact was intentional. The duo has a great deal of history on track, dating back to their 2024 tight race for the Truck Series Championship.

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NASCAR “talked” to Eckes, but no penalty was awarded, given the wreck that sent Heim spinning into the outer wall.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.