Joey Logano’s fifth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway was wiped out after NASCAR discovered a critical spoiler violation on his No. 22 Ford. Cup Series managing director Brad Moran explained how the infraction gave Logano an unintended performance edge, sparking debate over fairness in the garage.
Ryan Preece also lost his second-place result for a separate spoiler issue, sending both drivers to the back of the 39-car field. The penalties highlight NASCAR’s growing scrutiny of aerodynamic tweaks at superspeedways.
Brad Moran Breaks Down Spoiler Violations That Cost Joey Logano, Ryan Preece
Moran displayed the illegal spoilers at Texas Motor Speedway, explaining that Logano’s team violated Section 14.5.8.E (spoiler braces) and Section 14.1.P (fastener security). A missing nut and loose bolt on Logano’s spoiler brace allowed excess flexibility, cutting down on drag.
“First of all, all fasteners need to be fastened and secure at all times during an event,” Moran said.
“So obviously, that’s one problem. And the second problem is that, like I just mentioned, all the parts that are in this assembly, which is the brace, the bolts, the lock nuts, the washers, must be maintained. And obviously, one was missing.”
The spoiler brace bolt with the missing nut and NASCAR Cup Series director Brad Moran's explanation on the DQ of the Joey Logano car last week. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/HBoYZPOlQr
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 3, 2025
For Preece, an extra spoiler shim — more than the two allowed — led to disqualification. “They’re allowed two shims maximum at a superspeedway that must go the entire distance; the maximum they can be is 50 thousandths, which these are OK,” Moran said.
“Where the problem comes in is that there was a third [shim]. Pretty cut and dry, black and white.”
Logano’s violation echoed a familiar superspeedway tactic: adjusting spoiler angles to reduce drag.
“Teams are trying to do everything they can to get that spoiler out of the air, by either deflecting it from the front, or making it invisible from the rear,” Denny Hamlin noted on his Actions Detrimental podcast. “Because that’s how the car goes faster.”
Joey Logano Admits Unintentional Advantage Amid Points Freefall
Logano admitted the loose bolt may have helped, but denied any intent to cheat.
“It wasn’t on purpose, but that doesn’t matter, right?” he told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “What happened is the bolts that hold the back spoiler on. There’s a bracket back there. One of the nuts came off … Did it give us a competitive advantage? Yes. Did we do it on purpose? No. Does that make it any better? No. Right?”
The penalty cut Logano’s points from 41 to one, deepening a tough season. He now sits 11th in the standings with just one top-10 finish. Preece lost 40 points, dropping from second to 38th.
Hamlin weighed in, comparing the penalty to past cases. “If you remember, I think Rodney [Childers] in the No. 4 car had, like, three windshield bolts missing out of their front windshield. It doesn’t matter why, there’s no reason they should come loose,” he said.
NASCAR’s crackdown highlights the ongoing balance between innovation and enforcement. For Logano, the Talladega disqualification adds pressure heading into Texas.
For Moran, it’s simple: “Everybody knows the rules. You know, this is our job to find things like this, clean it up.”