NASCAR insiders explain precedent for race manipulation penalty after Martinsville controversy

Race manipulation has been the name of the game during the time following NASCAR’s Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway.

Toyota and Chevrolet are the ones at fault, as Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon are in the news for all the wrong reasons. First, the No. 23 Toyota wheelman seemingly slowed down to allow manufacturer teammate Christopher Bell to pass him on the final lap, hoping to send Bell to the Championship 4.

It might’ve worked, but Bell rode the wall in the final turn, and NASCAR deemed it a safety violation, penalizing him and sending William Byron to Phoenix instead.

Meanwhile, Wallace wasn’t the only one to commit a questionable act. Chevrolet teammates Chastain and Dillon seemed to create a blockade, which in turn allowed Byron to keep his position on the track and stay ahead of Bell.

The result has been many wondering if Wallace, Chastain and Dillon will face any sort of punishment for manipulating the finish over the weekend, and NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck, via the latest episode of The Teardown, explained why there’s a precedent for the decision to backfire for the trio.

“The last time this happened was the Roval, where Cole Custer slowed down to give Chase Briscoe a spot in 2022 in an elimination race. And here’s what NASCAR did,” Gluck explained. “NASCAR penalized Cole Custer and Mike Shiplett, his crew chief at the time. It was a $100,000 fine for Custer. They docked him 50 points, driver and owner points. Mike Shiplett also got suspended $100,000 and is suspended indefinitely from NASCAR after he had ceded the position to his teammate going into that chicane on the backstretch. Now, NASCAR did not take Briscoe out of the next round, but they penalized Custer and his team severely for what happened there.

“So, that’s what I think could very well happen with the Bubba situation here, because I really think that NASCAR does not want people giving positions. I do think it’s very possible that they may penalize Dillon and Chastain’s teams in some form. I don’t know how.”

Alas, the biggest losers in the entire ordeal are the fans, as the manipulation at the end of the race cheapened what was an awe-inspiring event prior to the finish. The stink of Martinsville must wear off before Phoenix this weekend, or NASCAR will find themselves in a precarious position moving forward.