NASCAR team hit with multiple suspensions ahead of Darlington race

NASCAR has suspended two pit-crew members from Shane van Gisbergen's No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team, but they will still be in action at Darlington this weekend after the team opted to defer their bans.

Van Gisbergen endured a nightmare race last time out at Martinsville, where he spun entering Turn 3 on exit from pit road and his right rear wheel fell off.

The Kiwi finished the race six laps behind the lead car of Denny Hamlin after he was forced to return to the pit road to remedy the issue, in a race that encapsulated his miserable start to the season.

Van Gisbergen has only finished inside the top 20 once in 2025, and has been classified outside of the top 30 in five out of seven races so far.

Van Gisbergen pit-crew given suspensions

The dislodged right rear tire has been deemed as a safety violation by NASCAR, which has led to competition officials suspending two pit-crew members from the No. 88 car.

Jonpatrik Kealey, the rear-tire changer and Aslan Pugh, the jackman, have been suspended for two races each, which was due to start with this weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway.

However, Trackhouse have deferred this by one week, as is their right, and as a result, the suspensions will begin at Bristol next weekend.

Van Gisbergen has not been penalized for the incident and will race as normal at this weekend's Goodyear 400, as he will attempt to recover from a series of dismal results.

The 2025 season has already seen two-race bans handed out to jackmen and tyre changers for unsecured wheels, with Kyle Busch’s No. 8 team and Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota crew both slammed by NASCAR with the same punishment.

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