NASCAR sends Dillon, Stenhouse and Custer to rear at Talladega
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 25, 2026
NASCAR rear order
NASCAR ordered Ty Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Cole Custer to start at the rear of the field before Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, setting three qualifying runs aside before the race begins. Dillon qualified 30th in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, Stenhouse qualified 24th in the No. 47 Chevrolet and Custer qualified 20th in the No. 41 Chevrolet. All three cars will start behind the rest of the field in a 188-lap race scheduled as race 8 of 10 in The Chase. Chase Briscoe is on the pole, but the decision leaves Dillon, Stenhouse and Custer with a different kind of start than the one their qualifying times earned. Instead of rolling away from the positions they secured, all three will begin from the rear and work forward from there. At Talladega, that kind of pre-race move changes the shape of the field before the first lap is completed and puts the focus on the rear of the lineup.
Ty Dillon penalty
Ty Dillon faces an additional penalty beyond the starting-order move. NASCAR said his team made an adjustment after inspection, and Dillon will have to serve a drive-through penalty after the green flag. The No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet has been sent to the rear before the start, so Dillon will lose his qualifying spot and then face another setback once the race is underway. He qualified 30th, and the combination of the rear-of-field order and the drive-through will put him deeper in the field. Dillon will enter the YellaWood 500 with one setback before the race starts and another after the green flag, both tied to the inspection adjustment.
Stenhouse Custer adjustments
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Cole Custer were sent to the rear for unapproved adjustments, and NASCAR did not report any additional penalties for either driver beyond the starting-order move. Stenhouse qualified 24th in the No. 47 Chevrolet, and Custer qualified 20th in the No. 41 Chevrolet, but both will start at the back before the YellaWood 500 gets going. No drive-through penalty is reported for either driver. The ruling is limited to the unapproved adjustments and the move to the rear. With Briscoe on the pole and three drivers sent to the rear, Talladega’s starting order will change before the race begins.
