NASCAR imposes harsh punishments after Martinsville race
Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain were each fined $100,000 and penalized 50 driver points by NASCAR on Tuesday for violating member conduct policies during Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway.
Following an investigation of the final laps, NASCAR determined that these three drivers had violated sections 4.4.B&D of the Rule Book, which pertain to actions detrimental to stock car racing and race manipulation.
The team owners of 23XI Racing (Wallace), Richard Childress Racing (Dillon) and Trackhouse Racing (Chastain) were also fined $100,000 and had 50 owner points deducted.
As a result of these violations, the crew chiefs, spotters, and team executives will be suspended for the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
All three racing teams have announced their plans to appeal the penalties.
NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer explained, "We took a look at our most recent penalty for a similar infraction, which was the 41 car a few years ago at the Roval. We wanted to increase the severity of this penalty, and we did so by including team leadership. We believe it is the responsibility of all of us, including team owners and leadership, to uphold the integrity of our sport."
