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WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 02: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Mobil 1 Toyota, Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 Trackhouse Chevrolet and Ryan Preece, driver of the #60 Fastenal Ford race during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 02, 2025 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NASCAR suspended two Trackhouse Racing pit crew members after a wheel detached from Ross Chastain’s car during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas. Officials confirmed the penalties in the league’s weekly report released March 4.
The ruling affects Josh Appleby and rear tire changer Kenneth Pozega from the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team. Both crew members will miss the next two NASCAR Cup Series races after the wheel came off Chastain’s car during the March 1 race in Austin, Texas.
NASCAR enforces strict penalties when a tire separates from a car on track. Officials treat those situations as a serious safety concern. The detached wheel also altered the outcome of the race for Chastain and the No. 1 team.
NASCAR Suspends Trackhouse Racing Pit Crew Members
NASCAR announced the suspensions on Tuesday in its official penalty report following the Circuit of the Americas race weekend.
Rear tire changer Kenneth Pozega and Josh Appleby received the penalties tied to the wheel loss from Ross Chastain’s car. The suspensions will sideline both crew members for the next two NASCAR Cup Series events.
NASCAR cited Sections 8.8.10.4 A and D of the rule book in its ruling. The rule governs tire and wheel violations during competition.
According to NASCAR, a lost tire beyond pit road carries an automatic penalty. The rule states that a detached wheel during competition results in a two-race suspension for two pit crew members.
The policy exists because loose wheels on the track create immediate safety risks for drivers, crews, officials, and fans.
Because of the rule, Appleby and Pozega will miss races at Phoenix Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Both crew members remain suspended through the Las Vegas race scheduled for March 15. They will become eligible to return to the Trackhouse Racing crew lineup at Darlington Raceway on March 22.
Ross Chastain Wheel Detachment Happened on Lap 75
The incident that triggered the penalty occurred during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas on March 1.
Ross Chastain had just completed a four-tire pit stop before the problem developed. Only a few laps later, the right rear wheel separated from the No. 1 Chevrolet while the race remained under green flag conditions.
The tire came off roughly three laps after the pit stop. NASCAR officials quickly issued an in-race penalty once the situation unfolded.
Chastain and the Trackhouse Racing team received a two-lap penalty for the violation. The driver served the penalty on pit road during the event.
The lost wheel changed the team’s race outcome. Chastain finished 35th after running two laps behind the leaders by the end of the event.
Before the incident, the Trackhouse Racing driver showed competitive speed during the race.
Chastain won Stage 1 and also recorded the fastest lap of the race. Those performances helped him collect 11 stage and bonus points despite the final result.
Trackhouse Racing Adjusts for Phoenix and Las Vegas
Trackhouse Racing must now adjust its pit crew lineup for the next two NASCAR Cup Series races.
The team will replace Appleby and Pozega as it prepares for events at Phoenix Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Phoenix Raceway hosts the next NASCAR Cup Series race on March 8. The event is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET with broadcast coverage on FS1 and HBO Max.
The schedule then moves to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 15. After that race weekend, the suspended Trackhouse Racing crew members will be eligible to return.
Ross Chastain now heads to Phoenix, sitting 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings. Trackhouse Racing will try to regain momentum during the next two races while operating with a revised pit crew lineup.
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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