Joe Gibbs Racing suffer the only penalty from the Iowa race weekend 

Joe Gibbs Racing was the only team penalized after the NASCAR weekend at Iowa Speedway, with a fine imposed on the team's No. 54 Xfinity Series car. The penalty was related to a post-race technical issue that NASCAR identified during inspection.

The information was first reported by Jayski on X. Jayski posted that the No. 54 Xfinity Series car from Joe Gibbs Racing was fined $5,000 for having a missing lug nut at the end of the race. The post specifically confirms that following Saturday’s Xfinity Series race—the Hy-Vee Perks 250—NASCAR officials found that the No. 54 Toyota driven by Taylor Gray had one lug nut that was not properly secured.

Jayski

@jayski

The lone penalty from Iowa was Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 54 Xfinity Series team getting hit with a $5,000 fine for having a missing lug nut at the end of the race.

This inspection took place in the Xfinity Series garage at Iowa Speedway. NASCAR then confirmed that Joe Gibbs Racing would face a monetary fine for the violation. This infraction came after a disappointing performance for the team, with Taylor Gray finishing 17th, second-best among the four Joe Gibbs Racing cars in that race.

Joe Gibbs Racing is not new to such penalties. The $5,000 fine for the unsecured lug nut follows a pattern of similar infractions earlier in the season. Back in March at Phoenix Raceway, two Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity cars were fined the same amount under the same rule—Section 8.8.10.4a of the NASCAR Rule Book. Later that month at Homestead-Miami Speedway, four teams in the Xfinity Series were penalized similarly. Among them were again entries from JGR.

The most recent similar incident before Iowa occurred in June at Mexico City. There, the exact same car—Taylor Gray’s No. 54—was also penalized for a lug nut violation.

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Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell to drive in place of Stewart Friesen at Watkins Glen

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell will step into the No. 52 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, replacing Stewart Friesen, who suffered severe injuries during a Super DIRTcar Series race in Quebec, Canada.

Friesen was involved in a brutal crash at Autodrome Drummond, where his car flipped multiple times, hit the wall, caught fire, and was struck by another vehicle. The crash resulted in fractures to his pelvis and right leg, requiring surgeries. Despite the severity, medical scans ruled out any injuries to his head, neck, or spine, and his vital signs have remained stable throughout. He was initially treated in Canada before being transferred to a hospital in New York for surgery and recovery.

Christopher Bell, who has had a successful 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign—including three consecutive wins at Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix—shared his thoughts via a press release. Bell said:

"I was honored to receive the call to run this truck for Stewart, a fellow dirt racer and Toyota teammate, in Watkins Glen. I've spent time with the team these past few days and we are working hard to continue the great season Stewart has had and deliver a great finish for him and his partners."

Christopher Bell is currently ranked fifth in the Cup Series standings with 684 points. He has secured three wins, 13 top-10s, and eight top-five finishes in 23 races.