5 NASCAR crew chief decisions that backfired big time

NASCAR often revolves around the driver in Victory Lane, but a win today is impossible without the decisions made atop the pit box. Crew chiefs juggle fuel windows, setup tweaks, and split-second calls under the green. When they get it right, a race tilts your way. When they miss, even the fastest car can be undone.

Across decades, strategy errors or procedural missteps have rewritten championship hopes and Daytona dreams alike. NASCAR’s rules are precise, the timing unforgiving, and every infraction or overreach carries consequence. From inspection failures to bold gambles that didn’t stick, the sport is filled with reminders that this is a team game.

Here are five crew-chief decisions in the NASCAR Cup Series that backfired when the stakes were highest.

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5 crew chief decisions in the NASCAR Cup Series that backfired

#5 Chris Lawson – Todd Gilliland, 2025 Daytona 500

Todd Gilliland and the Front Row Motorsports crew at the Brickyard. Source: Getty

Front Row Motorsports entered Speedweeks eager to capitalize on superspeedway parity. That optimism collapsed before qualifying laps were even logged. NASCAR inspectors discovered improper ballast weights on Gilliland’s No. 34 Ford, resulting in an automatic ejection for crew chief Chris Lawson.

The loss of the crew chief left the team scrambling for leadership through practice and the 500 itself. Gilliland soldiered on but spent race day chasing balance without the voice who had tuned his setups all winter, an early lesson on how strict Daytona policing can derail momentum.

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#4 Billy Plourde – Cody Ware, 2025 Daytona 500

Cody Ware (51) during the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400. Source: Getty

Rick Ware Racing’s bid for a clean start unraveled in a similar fashion. Billy Plourde was removed after the No. 51 Ford also triggered the improper-weights penalty during initial inspection. Ware’s group burned valuable garage hours reshuffling responsibilities, handing the pit box to veteran Tommy Baldwin on short notice. In a race decided by positioning and late restarts, the organizational shuffle left the underdog entry adrift.

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#3 Chris Gabehart – Denny Hamlin, 2024 Bristol penalty

Denny Hamlin and Chris Gabehart after an on-track incident at Martinsville, 2024. Source: Getty

Fresh off a spring victory at Bristol, Denny Hamlin appeared poised for a regular-season crown until an unexpected penalty torpedoed his points. Toyota had disassembled the race-winning engine for internal study before NASCAR’s mandatory teardown, a breach that prompted a 75-point deduction, ten-playoff-point loss, and a $100,000 fine levied against chief Chris Gabehart.

Though the manufacturer self-reported, the sanctioning body’s rules are absolute. Hamlin slid from third to sixth in the standings, trading a margin of comfort for weeks of playoff anxiety, proof that off-track compliance can shape a title bid as much as pit-road calls.

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#2 Rudy Fugle – William Byron, 2025 Daytona regular-season finale

William Byron (L) and crew chief Rudy Fugle in the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500. Source: Getty

Hendrick Motorsports arrived at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 last month with Byron already crowned regular-season champion, yet the night turned complicated before a lap was run. Post-inspection, officials deemed the No. 24 Chevrolet’s front splitter had been subjected to an unapproved adjustment after clearing its second pass.

Fugle was ejected, the car was sent to the rear, and a stop-and-go penalty was mandated after the green flag. Byron’s playoff seeding remained intact, but his finale became an exercise in damage control rather than a statement send-off.

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#1 Chris Gabehart – Denny Hamlin, 2019 Championship 4 tape gamble

Crew chief Christopher Gabehart and Denny Hamlin at the Joe Gibbs garage area. Source: Getty

Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota was fast enough to fight for the crown until a bold aero tweak changed the calculation. Gabehart ordered a sizeable strip of tape across the grille opening to chase marginal downforce in the closing run. Instead, engine temps spiked, forcing Hamlin to pit a second time to remove the patch.

Any shot at the championship dissolved in the extra stop, leaving the Joe Gibbs Racing crew to watch another contender hoist the trophy. The move lives as a cautionary tale that sometimes restraint wins titles.