Another weekend of the NASCAR Cup Series season is in the books, with Ryan Blaney having won the 2025 Cracker Barrel 400 on Sunday night.

Away from the results at Nashville Superspeedway, however, it proved another busy night for the race officials, as revealed by NASCAR’s post-race infraction sheet, which details all of the in-race penalties issued at any given event.

READ MORE: Kyle Busch gets major NASCAR boost as multiple stars demoted after Nashville

On Sunday night, a total of 21 penalties were issued for infractions during the race, the most often of which, as usual, referred to ‘pitting before pit road is open’, which results in a tail-end penalty. 14 drivers were found guilty of this infraction, including the likes of Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell.

Elsewhere, however, other infractions also occurred, with Bubba Wallace and Erik Jones both penalized for ‘speeding on pit road’ on lap 43 and lap 68, respectively. Both drivers were hit with a drive-through penalty as a result.

Other penalties handed out during Sunday’s race related to the crew members of several drivers. For example, Alex Bowman and Michael McDowell were given a tail-end penalty for ‘crewmember(s) over the wall too soon’, whilst Brad Keselowski was given the same punishment for having ‘too many crewmember(s) in contact with pit service area’.

The only other notable penalties were handed out to AJ Allmendinger and the No. 16 team after they made unapproved adjustments to their car post-inspection ahead of practice and qualifying.

As a result, Allmendinger was forced to start Sunday’s race at the rear, and carry out a stop-and-go penalty under green flag conditions, which put him down one lap.

READ MORE: NASCAR announce driver disqualification at Nashville as official statement released

NASCAR Cup Series Nashville infraction sheet

With the above said, here is a full breakdown of all of Sunday’s in-race penalties and when they occurred, with notes from NASCAR included.

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23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace has backed the idea of increasing the horsepower of stock cars in the NASCAR Cup Series.

This followed NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer’s confirmation to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the possibility of increasing the horsepower from 670 to 750 is “on the table.” He explained:

“We are working closely with all the stakeholders in the industry, and the collaboration has been better than ever in our sport on all topics. This particular one, [we] had a team owner council meeting last week, came up and we discussed that.

“Working closely, I know John Probst [senior vice president of innovation and racing development] had a conversation with our engine builders to see what we could do, how that would look and what changes would need to be made.”

While speaking to the media ahead of the race at Nashville, Wallace voiced his support of the idea, stating:

“I think [more horsepower would] help out everywhere, honestly.

“These cars are so close now, and some of these tracks that we go to, shifting just deletes the option of passing. We’re having to just operate inside the sandbox that we’re given. It is what it is,” Wallace added.

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota

Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images

“That’s why teams are getting so much more competitive, and that the gap is decreasing, so I think more horsepower kind of brings you back to the old school feel. It just puts it back in the driver’s hands and that’s what we want.”

When asked how much of an increase he would like to see, the 31-year-old driver jokingly responded:

“1,000,” before adding: “More than what we’ve got.

“I think if you go in small increments, it’s just like sticking a band-aid on something. I’m not asking for nine [hundred] but 750 at least or higher, just to see if it’s as easy and somewhat cost-efficient as they’re saying.”

“It should show from there. I think we need a big step. What are we scared of? We’ve been saying it for years that we want more horsepower and we’ve been told they’re waiting for other manufacturers. Well, they ain’t in, so let’s do something.”

Max Verstappen had every reason to leave the Spanish Grand Prix frustrated on Sunday – but beyond the immediate disappointment, the long-term consequences could pose deeper trouble for the 65-time Grand Prix winner.

Red Bull’s strategy backfired when Verstappen’s planned third pit stop was disrupted by an ill-timed caution, allowing his rivals to take advantage with a free stop and turning the race on its head.

On the restart, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc surged past Verstappen, who then found himself locked in a tense duel with Mercedes’ George Russell. The two clashed wheels twice in a bruising battle that capped off a day to forget for the reigning champion.

Verstappen was hit with a 10-second penalty that dropped him to 10th place. McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris capitalized on the chaos to secure a 1-2 finish.

But the implications may extend beyond a single race. Verstappen was assessed three penalty points in the aftermath, bringing his total to 11 over the past 12 months.

A one-race ban is triggered if a driver accumulates 12 penalty points in a 12-month span.

Verstappen, who won the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on May 18, declined to discuss the penalty situation after Sunday’s race.

“Does it matter?” he said. “Yeah, OK, that’s great. I prefer to speak about the race, not just one single moment.”

Another penalty point at the next race – the Canadian Grand Prix on June 15 – would result in an automatic suspension for the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29.

Two of Verstappen’s current penalty points, dating back to last year’s race in Austria, are set to expire on June 30.

Russell questioned Verstappen’s driving in the aftermath.

“It’s down to the stewards to decide if it was deliberate or not. Max is such an amazing driver – so many people look up to him – it seems completely unnecessary,” Russell said. “I don’t know what’s going through his mind. It felt deliberate in the moment. It felt surprising.”

Verstappen currently sits third in the Formula 1 standings with 137 points, trailing leader Piastri by 49. Norris is second with 176.

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The latest 2025 NASCAR Cup Series standings are in after Sunday’s race at Nashville, and it’s good news for two-time champion Kyle Busch.

Despite starting down in 24th for the Cracker Barrel 400 and collecting no stage points throughout the race, Busch’s 12th-place finish overall saw him receive a huge boost in his bid for a playoff spot in 2025.

Only 16 drivers can qualify for the postseason, and the 25 points Busch earned by finishing 12th saw him climb four spots, from 19th and outside of the playoff places to 15th and inside them. The two-time champion will hope to remain there for the rest of the season, although a win would lock him in for good.

Elsewhere, after Sunday’s race at Nashville, multiple big-name stars suffered demotions in the standings. In the top 10, for example, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick and Ross Chastain all dropped one spot, with those drivers now fifth, sixth and ninth overall.

There were also climbers in the top 10 as a result, the most notable of which was Denny Hamlin, moving from sixth to fourth with the 52 points he gained after finishing stages one and two in first and third, and then coming home third overall.

At the very top of the standings, there was no movement this weekend, with William Byron continuing to lead the way ahead of Kyle Larson in second and Christopher Bell in third. Sunday’s race winner, Ryan Blaney, remains seventh overall after his victory.

With that said, let’s take a look at the latest Cup Series standings in full!

READ MORE: NASCAR announce driver disqualification at Nashville as official statement released

NASCAR Cup Series standings after Nashville

* indicates a driver who has qualified for the Cup Series playoffs through winning a regular season race.

READ MORE: NASCAR confirm triple penalty for Cup Series team after Nashville incident

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Carson Hocevar finished second at Nashville for Spire Motorsports, with the 22-year-old having been praised by Hendrick vice-president Jeff Gordon in recent weeks

For the second consecutive week, Carson Hocevar seemingly caught the attention of NASCAR powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. The young driver has consistently impressed behind the wheel of the Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet.

Hocevar secured a second-place finish at Nashville, coming in behind Ryan Blaney. This strong performance followed a notable appearance at the Coca-Cola 600, where he garnered praise from Hendrick’s vice-president Jeff Gordon during a live Amazon Prime Video broadcast.

In an exclusive interview with Express U.S. Sports earlier this season, the Cup Series Rookie of the Year shared his mindset and ambitions. Despite engine troubles at Charlotte that derailed his chances while battling for the lead, Hocevar remains a driver to watch.

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Hendrick Motorsports vice-president of competition, Chad Knaus, is a legendary figure in NASCAR, having guided Jimmie Johnson to seven championship wins as his crew chief, was spotted approaching Hocevar after his latest performance. Knaus was waiting to speak to Hocevar and tell him “good job” after he climbed from his car and finished speaking to the media after his latest race.

Knaus’s public endorsement of Hocevar sparked widespread speculation among fans, who quickly envisioned the young driver joining Hendrick’s ranks. Given Spire’s close ties to Hendrick as a Chevrolet team, the suggestion isn’t entirely far-fetched.

However, Hendrick’s current driver lineup appears to be relatively stable. William Byron recently signed a contract extension until 2029, Kyle Larson’s position seems secure, and a change involving Chase Elliott is unlikely. This leaves Alex Bowman in the No. 48 car as the most vulnerable, but he’s had a solid season.

The possibility of Hocevar joining Hendrick was a hot topic among fans, with one stating: “I see Hocevar to the 48. Sorry. Had to say it,” and another saying, “Yup hocevar to the 48 confirmed”.

One fan exclaimed: “Give him a chance at HMS, he definitely deserves it,” and another chimed in with: “Carson in a Hendrick Car would be absolutely wild!!”.

Commenting on Hocevar during the Coca-Cola 600, Jeff Gordon observed: “Oh man, he’s fast, right. And that’s what you always look for first, can you drive the car with the speed?”.

He added, “Obviously this is a team that’s growing fast. He’s young and learning, and I think he’s got a bright future.”