NASCAR Cup Series MD delivers a ‘serious’ message to Front Row and Rick Ware Racing while exposing their Daytona 500 violation

NASCAR Cup Series managing director Brad Moran recently addressed the penalties imposed on Front Row Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing at the 2025 Daytona 500. The penalty was due to the safety violation relating to the driver hydration packs in the No. 34 Ford of Todd Gilliland and the No. 51 Ford of Cody Ware. Moran said that the governing body takes these violations "seriously" even if the teams were not planning to use the same setup on race day.

The issue came to light on Friday, February 28, at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) when NASCAR provided further details about the violations. During pre-race inspections at Daytona International Speedway, officials found that the No. 34 and the No. 51 cars contained lead weights in their hydration packs and various unsecured cord covers.

This was a direct violation of Section 14.11.2.1, A of the NASCAR Rule Book, which states that any ballast added to a car must be properly secured within a designated ballast container. Moran explained that while the teams might not have planned to compete with these setups, the added weight was positioned on the right side of the cars during the inspection.

He stressed that the hydration system is a critical component that ensures drivers receive proper fluids and any tampering with it is taken very seriously.

“The ballast was to the right side where the driver hydration is, which we take seriously. Our drivers, we want to make sure they get proper hydration. So this was on the right side of the car. That (part) would have been exchanged during the approved adjustments prior to racing,” NCS MD Brad Moran said (via NASCAR).

"You add that up and we could be anywhere from 10 to 14 pounds [heavier]... Most teams don’t go in this direction because the price is too big – again, 10 points doesn’t sound like much, but it is if you’re trying to win a championship," he added.

The violation resulted in the removal of both crew chiefs for the Daytona 500 and a deduction of 10 driver and owner points. Chris Lawson, crew chief for team No. 34, and Billy Plourde, crew chief for team No. 51 returned to their duties at Atlanta.

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NASCAR is looking at a potential overhaul of the playoff format

NASCAR is considering possible changes to its playoff system and the playoff committee recently held a meeting during the Daytona 500 weekend with a panel of more than two dozen members. They discussed various ideas to refine the championship format.

Mike Forde, NASCAR’s managing director of race communications, provided insights into the discussions. Later, he noted that the panel consisted of active and retired drivers, Hall of Famers, NASCAR executives, and members of the media.

Among the ideas presented was a proposal to introduce a seven-week playoff phase, followed by a three-race championship round. Some participants suggested eliminating the current 16-driver field in favor of a reduced lineup of 12 or even 10, similar to past versions of the Chase format.

“The first to speak was a retired NASCAR Hall of Famer… His idea or pitch was to go back to the 36-race season championship. Others went the opposite direction and said, ‘Well, I like the playoffs. I think that it is important to have eliminations... but how will we do it a little bit differently? Is it a seven-race lead-in to a three-race championship?” Forde was quoted as saying by Jayski.

"The goal is a playoff system, whether it’s keeping it or changing it, that crowns a deserving champion but also maintains or elevates fan engagement," he added.

It remains to be seen if the playoff format will be changed for 2026. But what is certain is that more deliberations are needed before any decision can be made.