NASCAR to further inspect Zane Smith's No. 38 car after Talladega
NASCAR will further inspect Zane Smith's No. 38 car for Front Row Motorsports after the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway in 2026.
NASCAR is performing a deeper inspection process after the Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend. Zane Smith's No. 38 car for Front Row Motorsports has been taken to the NASCAR R&D Center for further inspection after Talladega, the sport announced .
Smith finished in fifth place at Talladega for his first top-5 finish during the 2026 NASCAR season. The Front Row Motorsports driver has been solid to start the 2026 Cup Series season and found his first top-5 finish of the year at Talladega. NASCAR taking Smith's No.
38 car to the R&D Center doesn't automatically mean something is wrong; however, it does heighten the risk of a potential penalty. In the NextGen car era, drivers and teams have received significant penalties when NASCAR takes a car to the R&D Center. There have been several occasions when they have lost over 100 points due to an infraction.
Most cars are cleared after going to the R&D Center, but exceptions exist. Smith will likely be OK; however, NASCAR has blasted teams in the past for any wrongdoing. More: How to watch NASCAR live at Texas in May 2026, full schedule This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: NASCAR to further inspect Zane Smith's No.