NASCAR Suspends Two Trackhouse Crew Members After COTA Loose Wheel

Josh Appleby and Kenneth Pozega will be on the sidelines for the next two NASCAR Cup Series events, after Ross Chastain's No. 1 had an improperly secured wheel at COTA.

Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

As expected, NASCAR has issued a two-race suspension to two crew members from Trackhouse Racing following the most-recent NASCAR Cup Series event at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.

The penalty stems from an in-race incident in Sunday’s DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix, where the right-rear wheel was not properly secured on the No. 1 Busch Light Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, driven by Ross Chastain, and became detached from the racecar, drawing a caution inside the final 20 laps of the event.

Chastain, as per the NASCAR Cup Series Rule Book, was held on pit road for two laps (since the wheel became detached on the racetrack), and now, two of his crew members (the tire changer responsible and the jackman) have been suspended for the next two events.

Josh Appleby (jackman) and Kenneth Pozega (rear changer) will not be active on pit road for the next two NASCAR Cup Series events at Phoenix Raceway or Las Vegas Motor Speedway. They will both return to their regular duties at Darlington Raceway later in the month.

Trackhouse Racing has yet to make the necessary changes to its team roster in the NASCAR Roster Portal.

A native of Alva, Florida, Chastain was successful in winning the race’s opening stage, but after getting swapped back behind those who elected to flip the stage by pitting under the green flag, it was nearly impossible for the Trackhouse Racing driver to rise through the pack again.

With the in-race penalty, which occurred inside the final 20 laps of the event, Chastain was able to make up the two lap deficit and would be relegated to a finish of 35th after starting on the outside of the front row.

Heading into the fourth NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2026 season, taking place this coming weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet are sitting 20th in series point standings, four points below the cutline.

Chastain has previously been to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway, in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, but if he’s going to clinch another victory, he’ll have to make it work without two crucial members of his pit crew.

Further confirmation on who will serve as a fill-in jackman and rear changer for Appleby and Pozega will come from Trackhouse Racing later. The Straight Talk Wireless 500 will take place on Sunday, March 8 on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.