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Brad Keselowski calls out NASCAR playoff format after Martinsville confusion with Christopher Bell, William Byron

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•11/03/24
Brad Keselowski
Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR has certainly had a flair for the dramatic this season, and Sunday’s finish at Martinsville was the latest in a long line of events that will be scrutinized for how it was officiated.

William Byron advanced on points in the final playoff spot, reaching the Championship 4 after Christopher Bell was assessed a safety violation for riding the wall.

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Initially, Byron and Bell finished the race tied on points, which would have given Bell the right to advance to the Championship 4 via a tiebreaker. The penalty knocked Bell back, paving the way instead for Byron to advance.

At least one driver is already calling for change from NASCAR following the race.

“This should be the last straw on the camel’s back for the playoffs,” Brad Keselowski tweeted shortly after the dust settled on the track in Martinsville.

The finish to the penultimate NASCAR race of the season was sloppy for a number of reasons.

Multiple crew chiefs clearly knew the situation going into the final lap, and there were some communications that made it seem that there might be collusion to engineer certain results. It certainly appeared that both Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain blocked for the 24 car of William Byron late in the race.

On the flip side, Bell was trailing on points in the final lap and needed to pass Bubba Wallace to pull level with Byron.

Sure enough, Wallace appeared to slow considerably. After the race Wallace noted that he felt he had a tire going down, thus his dropping back in the race. Of course, that was just what Christopher Bell needed to get into the final NASCAR Championship 4 spot tied on points.

In any case, it was a messy finish, one that will leave a sour taste in the mouth of more than one driver, it appears.

Bell was at a loss for words after the ruling came down from NASCAR.

For his part, Byron thought the rules were followed and the correct outcome was reached after a hairy situation.

“Well I mean he rode the wall and there’s a rule, there’s a clear rule against riding the wall,” Byron said on the NBC broadcast after the race. “So in my eyes that’s, you know, that’s what counts. The 23 stuff is what it is, but there’s a lot going on there.”