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NASCAR Penalizes 3 Cup Teams After Martinsville

NASCAR has penalized three NASCAR Cup Series teams for infractions regarding Member Conduct, it announced Nov. 5.

The Nos. 1, 3 and 23 teams were all hit with penalties after the race at Martinsville Speedway for violations of 4.4.B&D: NASCAR Member Conduct. This pertains to race manipulation and actions detrimental to stock car racing.

Following NASCAR’s investigation of on-track data and team scanners, Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace were docked 50 driver points and $100,000 each.

Additionally, Trackhouse Racing, Richard Childress Racing and 23XI Racing were fined $100,000 and lose 50 owner points.

See also
23XI, FRM Make Great Arguments

NASCAR also issued suspensions to crew chiefs Phil Surgen, Justin Alexander and Bootie Barker, as well as spotters Brandon McReynolds, Brandon Benesch and Freddie Kraft. All will sit out the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Team executives Tony Lunders, Keith Rodden and Dave Rogers are also suspended for the Championship race.

Trackhouse, RCR and 23XI plan to appeal the rulings.

After the race at Martinsville, NASCAR penalized Christopher Bell for a safety violation, putting William Byron in the Championship 4.

Other penalties that were announced on Tuesday included suspensions for two crew members on the No. 8 team for a wheel coming off the car during the Martinsville race. Jackman Josh Sobecki and front tire changer Michael Russell are suspended the next two races, through the 2025 Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Chandler Smith was fined $10,000 after his altercation with Cole Custer following Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville.

Ty Majeski, who’s in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship 4, was fined $12,500 for failing to perform a media obligation.

About the author

Joy Tomlinson

Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.

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11 Comments
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WD

Those 3 cars should be assigned position of last car on the lead lap in order allowing others to move to the position they were blocked from

Kevin in SoCal

Whoa, that would REALLY open a can of worms.

Bill B

Not a strong enough penalty to deter future manipulations. That final race before the championship race is so easy to manipulate when you get down to the final race and the math becomes apparent, and the incentive is so high.

Carl D.

Chump change. I’d have suspended all three for the Phoenix race.

TD Mann

Come on ppl this is suppose to be racing. Stop being so butt hurt of the things that take place on the track.

Bobby DK

And” Actions detrimental to stock car racing”. I’m thinking that’s not racing at 100%. Everyone knows the 1 and 3 car could have easily passed the 24. Now on to Phoenix we’re everyone will pull over for the premiere 4. Let’s wait for the penalties to roll out after that race.

Mike

Treat the symptom but still won’t admit the root cause.

DoninAjax

NA$CAR puts a pinky bandage on a shotgun blast to the stomach and prays to their god Brian.

Echo

bubba looked straight into the camera and lied to us all. He’s the only one who lied straight up.

TD Mann

Every thing that comes out of his mouth is a lie

DoninAjax

I wonder if he feels a real noose tightening? Or is that a stretch?

Last edited 1 month ago by DoninAjax