After failing pre-qualifying inspection three times, William Byron and Hendrick Motorsports will have to operate without a key member of the organization, as the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro tackles Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Road Course.
Unfortunately, after passing on the fourth attempt, the @Hendrick24Team will lose a crew member, as well as there will be no attempt to qualify and a pass through under green for this weekend’s race at @IMS.
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) August 11, 2023
“Unfortunately, after passing on the fourth attempt, the @Hendrick24Team will lose a crew member, as well as there will be no attempt to qualify and a pass through under green for this weekend’s race at [Indianapolis].”
Byron, who sits third in regular-season point standings with four wins on the season, will now lose the privilege of pit selection ahead of Sunday’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard, no matter the result in Saturday’s group qualifying session.
To make matters even worse, failing a third time through inspection will prohibit Byron and the No. 24 team from participating in Saturday’s qualifying session from the 2.439-mile road course, and force them to do a drive-through penalty at the start.
Additionally, the organization will lose a crew member, who will be ejected from the premises of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a result of the penalty. NASCAR nor Hendrick Motorsports have confirmed who that crew member will be.
Per Hendrick Motorsports, the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro was able to pass the pre-qualifying inspection for the fourth time, saving the organization from any other major penalties before the event begins.
Additional updates surrounding the pre-qualifying inspection will be added to this story as an update when additional information is released.
