Jeff Burton says Austin Cindric's wreck was 'way more complicated' than Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace's wrecks

Jeff Burton believes Austin Cindric’s run-in with Austin Dillon isn’t exactly on the same level as the Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace wrecks that led to their suspensions.

The NASCAR veteran may think that way, but it’s evident Dillon and team owner Richard Childress don’t think that way, as they called for NASCAR to step in and suspend Cindric for what they perceived as the Penske wheelman purposefully wrecking the No. 3 car.

“I was wrecked intentionally by him,” stated Dillon, following Gateway. “Hooked right, just like Chase [Elliott] and Denny [Hamlin] and Bubba [Wallace’s] deal. He better be suspended next week.”

After Childress backed up his driver, Burton explained why he believes Cindric will get away with this one, and why it’d be a risky move for NASCAR to step in here.

“I think either way, there will be an explanation to it, and I think that’s what’s really important. This is a very important week for NASCAR in making this call,” explained Burton, via the NASCAR on NBC podcast. “They’re defining the rules. But I don’t rule this as clear cut like those other wrecks. I just, I think it’s way more complicated than those other wrecks. Way more complicated.

“… If we were going to go to the point where we’re going to start penalizing people on a more frequent basis, then we would have to chance that whole system. Like, you would have to put people — do we really want to do that? What do we say all the time, the problem with rules is you have to enforce them. The more rule you have, the more you have to enforce them. It’s just more complicated in motorsports than it is in other sports. I don’t care what anybody says, it’s just more complicated. When you add the vehicle into the equation, no other sport — I guess golf does, because you can bring your own clubs. But no other sport compares to motorsports in the degree of complication that the vehicle brings to the rules. Think about the thousands of parts that are on the vehicle, so you have to mandate that as well as what the drivers and teams are doing. You’re officiating on the field, off the field and the ball. It is just a more complicated process than any other sport.”

Do NASCAR drivers and fans really want a suspension every time there’s a racing incident? Some of the best moments in the sport’s history have come in similar fashion. Handicapping drivers like that would be a tough thing to do.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem as if Austin Cindric will be suspended, which is music to Jeff Burton’s ears, as it would set an unfortunate precedent for the sport. We’re willing to bet Austin Dillon and Richard Childress won’t be very happy though.