NASCAR has suspended two members of William Byron’s No. 24 team after Sunday’s Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire. The decision comes after Byron’s left-rear wheel fell off during the final stage.
Byron made a four-tire pit stop on lap 203 and drove 19 laps before disaster struck. The Hendrick Motorsports driver crashed into the outside walls and returned to finish 30th.
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The incident caused a caution and violated sections 8.8.10.4.A&D in the NASCAR Rule Book. Notably, Byron was running inside the top-3 when his race derailed.
NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass shared the penalties on X.
Despite his poor finish, William Byron clinched a Chase berth and will start outside the top-10 standings at Darlington. His teammate Kyle Larson grabbed a top-5 finish at Loudon and placed himself seventh in points.
Much like Byron, HMS driver Chase Elliott also had a poor outing. The No. 9 crew mixed up his right-side tires during the non-competitive pit stop on lap 40. Elliott had to pit twice and lost seven positions as a result, ultimately finishing 25th and dropping two spots in the standings.
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The team now heads to Daytona International Speedway for the regular season finale.
Alex Bowman’s crew members to fill in for William Byron’s team
Aug 22, 2026; Loudon, New Hampshire, USA; Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman (48) walks to his car before practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Alex Bowman has been ruled out of the Chase after missing four races due to a vertigo diagnosis. That said, HMS has decided to use his crew members to aid William Byron’s title effort the next two races.
Bob Pockrass revealed the move in another X post.
“With Alex Bowman eliminated from the Chase, Bowman jackman Dax Hollifield and rear changer Rod Cox will move to the William Byron car for the next two weeks,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, William Byron’s teammate Kyle Larson has called out NASCAR for not allowing live stops during wet weather conditions. At Loudon, teams switched from wet-weather tires to slicks during a competition caution and didn’t have to race over pit road.
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Larson made the case for forgoing the practice.
“I think we’ve been doing this rain thing long enough now, it’s gone well. There’s other series that do live pit stops in the rain. Every other series does live pit stops in the rain. Why can’t we?” he said via Door Bumper Clear podcast.
“And bring in that element of strategy. And I think that’s where the good teams can rise or even the slower teams… So I think it’s just time, like we have the experience of doing it. Just let us just open it up,” Larson added.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed the matter and argued against wet-weather pit stops. He believes they’re dangerous and doesn’t think drivers are ready for it. Read More:
Kyle Petty Drops a Blunt Reality Check on Josh Berry’s Late-Season Turnaround: “If You’re Not Winning Races, Sorry”
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