Biggest Fines and Penalties in NASCAR History
NASCAR has never been short on bold moves—or bold rule-breakers. Sure, pushing limits is part of racing culture, but there’s a fine line between creative strategy and flat-out rule violations. Over the years, some of the sport’s most iconic names have tested those boundaries and paid the price. This article lists the biggest hits, fines, and oops moments in NASCAR history.
Race Manipulation at Martinsville Sparks a $600,000 Blow
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In 2024, several teams got caught playing defense for a playoff hopeful in a suspicious series of radio calls. Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon, and Ross Chastain were fined $100,000 each, along with their teams. NASCAR called it race manipulation and hit them with massive point deductions and suspensions.
Hendrick Motorsports Gets Dinged for Vent Tricks
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Messing with hood louvers—those radiator air vents—landed Hendrick Motorsports and Kaulig Racing in hot water in 2023. NASCAR didn’t take kindly to tampering with single-source parts. The fine was $100,000 for each of the five crew chiefs, though some points were restored on appeal.
Counterfeit Part Costs Chase Briscoe’s Team $250,000
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The first-ever L3 penalty came in 2023, and it was a doozy. NASCAR found a fake underwing duct on Briscoe’s No. 14 car that looked wrong even to the naked eye. That earned crew chief John Klausmeier a $250,000 fine and a six-race suspension. Stewart-Haas Racing didn’t argue.
Spingate Sinks Michael Waltrip Racing
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“Spingate” in 2013 still makes jaws drop. Clint Bowyer’s mysterious late-race spin helped teammate Martin Truex Jr. sneak into the playoffs. NASCAR wasn’t fooled. After a $300,000 fine and 50-point penalties, NAPA pulled its sponsorship, and Michael Waltrip Racing hardly recovered.
Carl Long’s Engine Wrecks His Cup Career
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Carl Long was nearly erased from the Cup Series due to a slightly oversized engine at the 2009 All-Star race. NASCAR fined his team $200,000 and handed down a 12-race suspension. He was sidelined until 2017, and eventually returned as an owner-driver, but the penalty had already reshaped his NASCAR future.
Carson Hocevar Pays for Streaming Slip
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During the 2025 NASCAR Mexico City race weekend, Carson Hocevar described the host city offensively during a live Twitch stream. Spire Motorsports responded by issuing a $50,000 fine and mandating cultural sensitivity training. The money went to three local charities.
Richard Petty’s 198th Win Comes With a Cost
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Richard Petty’s 1983 win came with controversies. Inspectors found an oversized engine and incorrect tire placement, which triggered a $35,000 fine and a 104-point deduction. He kept the win, but the damage to Petty Enterprises was real. They had to scale back, and it marked the start of some rough years.
Mark Martin’s Lost Title Dream
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In 1990, Mark Martin won at Richmond, but an illegal carburetor spacer earned him a $40,000 fine and a 46-point deduction. As a result, he lost the season championship to Dale Earnhardt by just 26 points. Martin might have added “Cup Champion” to his legacy without that deduction.
Glenn Dunaway Gets DQ’d in NASCAR’s First Race
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In NASCAR’s very first race back in 1949, Glenn Dunaway took the checkered flag briefly. Inspectors found his car had altered rear springs, a trick often used by moonshine runners for better handling. He was disqualified, and second-place finisher Jim Roper was declared the winner.
Curtis Turner and Tim Flock Face Lifetime Bans
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Curtis Turner and Tim Flock were banned for life for trying to unionize NASCAR drivers in the 1960s. Turner had partnered with the Teamsters as they hoped to boost race payouts. NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. shut it down quickly. Though the ban didn’t stick forever, no drivers’ union has ever taken hold.
Joe Gibbs Racing Gets Double DQ’d at Pocono
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Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch finished first and second at Pocono in 2022, but not for long. Post-race inspection revealed clear tape hidden beneath the car wraps. Their finishes were bumped down to the back.
Greenhouse Mods Nail Hendrick… Again
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Just weeks after their first fine in 2023, Hendrick Motorsports was caught altering the “greenhouse” area of their cars—basically the upper midsection of the body. This earned them another set of penalties: 60-point deductions, $75,000 fines, and suspensions for fill-in crew chiefs.
Kevin Harvick’s Windshield Mishap at Talladega
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In 2023, Kevin Harvick’s team didn’t keep the windshield fasteners secure for the full race at Talladega. NASCAR took that seriously and handed out a disqualification. Unlike earlier cases, Harvick’s team didn’t challenge the ruling.
Ryan Blaney’s Shock Length Controversy
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Ryan Blaney thought he was out of luck in Las Vegas when his car failed post-race inspection due to the left-front shock being too short. NASCAR disqualified him for a short time. After further review, officials found an error in the measuring template itself and reversed the DQ.
Tony Stewart’s Temper Costs Him $50,000
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In 2004, Tony Stewart let his temper do the talking after a rough race with Brian Vickers. Once the checkered flag dropped, he physically confronted Vickers off-track. NASCAR fined him $50,000 for the incident, one of the steepest penalties at the time for behavior outside the car.