Richard Childress Racing's Jesse Love initially scored the win in the first NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Rockingham Speedway since 2004 on Saturday, but his No. 2 Chevrolet was disqualified after the race.
The No. 2 team was found in violation of Rule 14.14.2.I-5.h, which relates to railing arm spacers and pinion angle shims, and as a result, it was JR Motorsports' Sammy Smith who was declared the race winner after initially finished in second place behind Love.
With Love being disqualified and thus dropping to the bottom of the finishing order, it is implied that everybody else would gain one spot. But two drivers actually gained two spots, since one of the drivers who crashed out was also disqualified.
Two drivers pick up multiple spots after the checkered flag at Rockingham
Joe Gibbs Racing's Justin Bonsignore, who was scored in 36th of 38 drivers after wrecking on lap 158 of the 256-lap North Carolina Education Lottery 250 around the four-turn, 0.94-mile (1.513-kilometer) Rockingham, North Carolina oval, was officially scored in last after it was discovered that the No. 19 Toyota had multiple lug nuts not installed in a safe and secure manner.
Love was scored in 37th, so both drivers only scored one point after a race in which Love initially scored 45.
So while the drivers who initially finished from second through 35th place were each promoted by one spot, the drivers who initially finished in 37th and 38th were promoted by two spots.
Haas Factory Team's Sheldon Creed, who was taken out in an earlier wreck involving Bonsignore, was promoted from 37th to 35th place, meaning that he scored two points instead of one.
Yes, everyone else gained a single race point, with some even gaining stage points due to Love's disqualification. But with Creed currently hovering around the playoff cut line in 10th in the standings, that extra point, which he would not have gotten had he been bumped up by only a single spot like everybody else, could end up being significant down the road.
Then there is Katherine Legge, who was the first driver to crash in what was her first start since 2023. After failing to qualify for Jordan Anderson Racing, she replaced J.J. Yeley at Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen. She was moved from 38th to 36th place, though even if she were points eligible, she still would have scored only a single point.