NASCAR to further inspect Zane Smith's No. 38 car after Talladega

[ASFN Admin]

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.

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This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: NASCAR to further inspect Zane Smith's No. 38 car after Talladega

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