Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
With the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season ending this past weekend at Homestead, we're going to take a look at the four penalty categories that are featured on this blog. Up first is the pre-race penalty category. This category is for drivers and teams that have had problems prior to the race every week. The various scenarios of getting this penalty include having to change an engine or transmission, having to go to a back-up car, making unapproved adjustments missing the driver's meeting or driver introductions or having a qualifying lap disqualified.
Two drivers/teams shared the distinction of having earned this penalty more than any other, Dave Blaney and Robby Gordon. One would venture to guess that this penalty would feature drivers/teams that struggle from race to race due to low sponsorship funding and the inability to get the freshest and best parts but that theory was debunked by David Reutimann, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. Those three Toyota drivers along with another Toyota campaigner, Michael McDowell had to start at the rear of the field three times during the 36-race season though it should be noted that one of McDowell's penalties came late in the season at Phoenix when he served as a replacement for the suspended Kyle Busch.
There were many drivers who did not have an infraction this season, most notably 2011 Sprint Cup champion, Tony Stewart and series runner-up, Carl Edwards.
| Driver Number(s) | Driver Name | Pre-Race Penalties |
| 36, 60, 35 | Dave Blaney | 5 |
| 7 | Robby Gordon | 5 |
| 00 | David Reutimann | 3 |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 3 |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | 3 |
| 66, 18 | Michael McDowell | 3 |
| 13 | Casey Mears | 2 |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | 2 |
| 09, 60, 51 | Landon Cassill | 2 |
| 20 | Joey Logano | 2 |
| 78 | Regan Smith | 2 |
| 46, 38 | J.J. Yeley | 2 |
| 32 | Ken Schrader | 2 |
| 60, 36, 37 | Mike Skinner | 2 |
| 47 | Bobby Labonte | 1 |
| 38, 34 | David Gilliland | 1 |
| 6 | David Ragan | 1 |
| 21 | Trevor Bayne | 1 |
| 56 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 1 |
| 32, 71 | Mike Bliss | 1 |
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | 1 |
| 43 | A.J. Allmendinger | 1 |
| 33 | Clint Bowyer | 1 |
| 09, 46 | Bill Elliott | 1 |
| 30 | David Stremme | 1 |
| 7 | Reed Sorenson | 1 |
| 83 | Brian Vickers | 0 |
| 34, 38 | Travis Kvapil | 0 |
| 22 | Kurt Busch | 0 |
| 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 0 |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | 0 |
| 71, 77 | Andy Lally | 0 |
| 27 | Paul Menard | 0 |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray | 0 |
| 9 | Marcos Ambrose | 0 |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | 0 |
| 4 | Kasey Kahne | 0 |
| 32, 38 | Terry Labonte | 0 |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 0 |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | 0 |
| 31 | Jeff Burton | 0 |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | 0 |
| 39 | Ryan Newman | 0 |
| 5 | Mark Martin | 0 |
| 35, 36 | Geoffrey Bodine | 0 |
| 14 | Tony Stewart | 0 |
| 99 | Carl Edwards | 0 |
| 71 | Hermie Sadler | 0 |
| 87 | Joe Nemechek | 0 |
| 46 | Scott Speed | 0 |
| 95 | David Starr | 0 |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | 0 |
| 32 | Andrew Ranger | 0 |
| 37 | Robert Richardson, Jr. | 0 |
| 37 | Tony Raines | 0 |
| 77 | Steve Wallace | 0 |
| 84 | Cole Whitt | 0 |
| 92 | Dennis Setzer | 0 |