William Byron crew members suspended as Hendrick names replacements

by August 25, 2026

written by August 25, 2026

When a left-rear wheel became disconnected in the middle of the NASCAR Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, William Byron crashed into the outside wall, derailing a top five run. He was then held for two laps, per the rule book.

However, the penalties do not end there. As expected, NASCAR officials have issued a two-race suspension for Byron’s rear changer Orane Ossowski and jackman Allen Holman.

They will miss the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway, but more importantly, they will also be forced to sit out the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, which serves as the opening race of the 2026 Chase.

Hendrick Motorsports has a plan in place and replacements have already been confirmed. Jackman Dax Hollifield and rear changer Rod Cox, who spend every week on the No. 48 Hendrick Chevrolet of Alex Bowman, will move over to Byron’s car for the next two races.

Bowman is deep in the standings after being sidelined with vertigo earlier in the year, so he won’t be part of the Chase for the championship.

Byron’s crew chief Rudy Fugle discussed the loose wheel incident earlier in the week, explaining what went wrong.

There were no other issues as part of this week’s penalty report. However, the report did include the reinstatement of Quinta Funderburk, who was suspended after Nashville due to a violation of NASCAR’s substance abuse policy.