NASCAR announced penalties this week targeting the No. 69 MBM Motorsports entry that competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The sanction came after a pre‑qualifying inspection uncovered a technical infraction involving the truck’s shifter boot.
The shifter boot infraction
Officials determined that the boot had been in service for more than two years and was missing the mandatory NASCAR safety certification label. The component, while functional, failed to meet the series’ current equipment standards.
As a result of the violation, MBM Motorsports was fined $5,000 and had 25 points deducted from both the driver and owner championships. The deduction pushed the team into negative territory, with the owner standings now showing a deficit of 14 points and Jonathan Shafer’s driver standings at negative 25.
Implications for the season
The penalty marks a challenging start for the 2026 campaign, during which Shafer has recorded three Did Not Qualify results while driving for MBM Motorsports. Team owner Carl Long, who also fields the program, now faces the added pressure of rebuilding a program that has struggled for consistency.
NASCAR’s weekly enforcement bulletin noted that no additional penalties were issued beyond the shifter boot case, underscoring the series’ focus on equipment compliance as the season progresses.