Trouble brews for three teams as NASCAR penalizes them before the Talladega race

Three Xfinity drivers were penalized for failing tech checkups before the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. FOX journalist Bob Pockrass recently shared the news through X (formerly Twitter).

The cars of Matt DiBenedetto (No. 99, Viking Motorsports), Blaine Perkins (No. 31, Jordan Anderson Racing), and former Cup regular Aric Almirola (No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing) failed post-qualifying inspection. As a penalty, the drivers will lose pit selection and have a crew member ejected from each team when the series visits Texas Motor Speedway on May 3.

Detailing the matter, Pockrass wrote the following on X,

“In Xfinity tech, the Almirola DiBenedetto and Perkins cars failed twice and had a crew member ejected and lose pit selection for Texas. Those cars passed on the third time.”

Meanwhile, next on the 2025 Xfinity Series schedule is the Ag-Pro 300, a 113-lap points-paying event scheduled for Saturday, April 26 at Talladega Superspeedway. Round 2 of qualifying was cancelled due to lightning in the area, so Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love, who was the fastest in Round 1, was named the winner of the Kennametal Pole Award.

Love also happens to be the defending winner at the infamous tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. This year’s race at the 2.66-mile racetrack will be televised exclusively on CW, 4 pm ET onwards, with live radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The Menlo Park, California, native is currently vying for his second win of the season, so all eyes are going to be on the 20-year-old.

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NASCAR to bring together Eric Church and John Fogerty for signature Amazon Prime sound

With Amazon Prime Video all geared up for its inaugural NASCAR season, a signature anthem seems to be in place. Thanks to the joint efforts of country superstar Eric Church and rock legend John Fogerty, a reimagined version of the Amazon Music original named “Up Around The Bend” will be released soon.

Fans got their first taste of the collaboration on Thursday, April 24, as the song debuted on the new NASCAR on Prime commercial, featuring Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., veteran analyst Steve Letarte, and former Cup Series champion Chase Elliott.

Reflecting on the commercial, Stacey Rosenson, Head of U.S. Sports Marketing, Amazon Prime Video, said in a statement,

“Incorporating the anthem into our new commercial featuring the legendary duo of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte, alongside current Cup Series star Chase Elliott, taps into the heartbeat of NASCAR and highlights our commitment to delivering a unique, fun, and exciting viewing experience for fans."

The anthem will kickstart Amazon Prime’s coverage of this year’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25. The number will further feature throughout its five-race stint in the NASCAR Cup Series, which ends with The Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 22.