The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the NASCAR season. Every year, teams push the limits to gain an edge. But in 2025, two teams crossed the line, and NASCAR made sure they paid the price. Just before the green flag, NASCAR ejected two crew chiefs—Chris Lawson from Front Row Motorsports and Billy Plourde from Rick Ware Racing. The reason? Illegal weight modifications.
The No. 34 Ford Mustang of Todd Gilliland and the No. 51 Ford Mustang of Cody Ware had improper weight placements. NASCAR officials discovered this during a pre-race inspection. Lawson and Plourde were immediately dismissed. They couldn’t participate in the practice, qualifying, or race day events. The penalties disrupted both teams just before the biggest race of the season. But the controversy didn’t stop there.
Days after the chaotic Daytona 500, NASCAR shocked the sport again. The sanctioning body dropped solid evidence of the cheating scandal. The details left no doubt that these teams had tried to bend the rules. A day ahead of the Cup qualifying at Circuit of the Americas, NASCAR arranged a detailed tour to reveal the modifications.
NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck shared a firsthand look at the violations. “Show and Tell Day in the NASCAR hauler. This was the unsecured weight from the 34 and 51 teams at Daytona. The ol’ lead in the water bottle trick, except the lead in this case, was in the bag surrounding the drink bottle. NASCAR says the 34 team sewed it into the lining while the 51 team just stuffed a piece of lead in there with it. Also, the 51 team had weighted cords that weren’t attached,” he posted on X.
These findings explained why NASCAR took immediate action before the race. The governing body enforces strict rules to prevent teams from gaining illegal advantages. Manipulating weight affects performance, and NASCAR made it clear that cheating wouldn’t be tolerated. Notably, in response to past violations, NASCAR introduced stricter penalties in 2025. The updated rulebook outlines severe consequences for any cheating attempts. This includes point deductions, reduced wind tunnel testing hours, and limitations on-vehicle testing.
Show and Tell Day in the NASCAR hauler. This was the unsecured weight from the 34 and 51 teams at Daytona. The ol’ lead in the water bottle trick, except the lead in this case was in the bag surrounding the drink bottle. NASCAR says the 34 team sewed it into the lining while the… pic.twitter.com/zY99DOxOhG
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 28, 2025
For Rick Ware Racing, this scandal was a serious setback. Cody Ware already struggled in qualifying, finishing dead last. His lap time of 51.835 seconds was significantly slower than the competition. In Duel 2, he managed only 15th place. Losing his crew chief made things worse. Eventually, he failed to finish the race and ended with DNF. Meanwhile, Todd Gilliland had a slightly better outing but still faced an uphill battle.
He finished 27th in the Daytona 500, far from where he wanted to be. Coming off a solid 2024 season, where he finished a career-best 22nd in points, Gilliland hoped to build momentum in 2025. Instead, the weight scandal overshadowed his race, leaving his team scrambling to move past the controversy. However, the biggest storyline following the penalty wave was Chase Briscoe’s spoiler fiasco.
JGR’s outrage over Chase Briscoe’s penalty
As NASCAR dealt with the weight scandal, another major controversy erupted just days later. Chase Briscoe and Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) left Daytona feeling optimistic after a strong fourth-place finish. But their celebration didn’t last long. Three days after the event, NASCAR officials issued a massive penalty to JGR and Chase Briscoe. The No. 19 team was found to have illegally modified the rear spoiler, violating NASCAR’s strict aerodynamic regulations.
The penalty was severe as JGR was fined $100,000 and lost 100 owner points and 10 playoff points. Briscoe also lost 100 driver points and 10 playoff points. The punishment left JGR president Dave Alpern stunned. Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, he expressed his frustration. “We have rules for a reason. I give NASCAR credit—it’s really hard to keep track of all this stuff. You get the call, and you’re like, ‘What in the world happened?’”
Notably, Aerodynamics plays a huge role in NASCAR, and the rear spoiler is a critical component. Even the slightest modification can dramatically change a car’s performance, providing an illegal advantage. NASCAR’s inspection found that JGR had altered the spoiler in a way that violated its strict guidelines. After the penalty, the JGR driver is toppled at the bottom of the driver’s standings with -51 points after two races. The only glimmer of hope to somehow control the damage over this ruling is their scheduled appeal on March 5.
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