As teams prepare for the final NASCAR races of the weekend at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway, the sanctioning body issued major penalties Tuesday afternoon for Member Conduct violations during Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
After reviewing the on-track data and digesting the audio of the team scanners from the final laps of the elimination Round of 8 Playoff race, NASCAR determined the actions of those penalized violated sections 4.4.B & D: NASCAR Member Conduct of the Rule Book, which include race manipulation and actions detrimental to stock car racing.
The three teams penalized were 23XI Racing and No. 23 driver Bubba Wallace, Richard Childress Racing and No. 3 driver Austin Dillon, and Trackhouse Racing and No. 1 driver Ross Chastain.
Each driver was sacked with the loss of 50 driver points and a $100,000 fine. Additionally, NASCAR also fined the owners of each team, $100,000 and the deduction of 50 owner points each.
Furthermore, NASCAR suspended crew chiefs Phil Surgen (Trackhouse Racing), Justin Alexander (Richard Childress Racing) and Robert “Bootie” Barker (23XI Racing) alongside their respective spotters Brandon McReynolds (Chastain), Brandon Benesch (Dillon) and Freddie Kraft (Wallace).
Also, NASCAR also suspended team executives Dave Rogers (23XI Racing), Keith Rodden (Richard Childress Racing) and Tony Lunders (Trackhouse Racing) from Sunday’s Cup Series Championship Race at the Avondale, Ariz. race track.
Shortly after the penalties were publicly announced, all three teams said they would appeal. The appeals are likely to be escalated and heard before Sunday’s Cup race at Phoenix.
The infractions stem from a series of decisions that centered around Championship 4 hopefuls Christopher Bell and William Byron.
In the closing laps of the penultimate Cup Series race, Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports began to drop in the running order – intensifying the cutline between the final spot in Sunday’s Championship 4 race.
With every position lost, Byron would lose one point. Settled in sixth place, just one point ahead of Bell for the fourth and final Championship 4 spot.
Meanwhile, Bell, who had a miserable day at the historic Virginia short track, was hanging on 19th place at the time, the first car one lap down.
With Ryan Blaney in control of the race and headed towards defending his Cup Series championship at Phoenix, the Chevrolets of Chastain and Dillon created a barricade behind Byron.
Both vehicles ran side-by-side and elected not to pass the No. 24 car over the final 10 laps of the race.
If both cars overtook Byron, he would lose the final Playoff spot to Bell – with a hungry Brad Keselowski reeling in the Chevrolets of Dillon and Chastain in front of him.
Mid-pack, Wallace abruptly began to slow on the track, informing his team that he may have a tire going down. Blaney eventually lapped Wallace which opened a position that Bell desperately needed to advance.
Entering Turns 3 and 4 on the last lap, Bell surged past the slower Wallace, carried too much speed, and rode his car along the outside retaining wall, coming to the checkered flag in the 18th position.
Initially, it appeared the Bell would advance to the Championship 4 race on Nov. 10 through a Las Vegas tiebreaker. Nearly a half-hour later, NASCAR reviewed the video and determined Bell’s move was a safety violation.
The penalty for the move dropped Bell from 18th to 22nd, the final car one lap down, giving Byron enough points to now advance.
The three Cup Series teams weren’t the only penalties issued on Tuesday.
Richard Childress Racing crew members Josh Sobecki (jack) and Michael Russell (front changer) were suspended for two races (through the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025) for a safety violation when the No. 8 Cup car of Kyle Busch lost a wheel at Martinsville during Stage 3.
Xfinity Series driver Chandler Smith of Joe Gibbs Racing was fined $10,000 for violating section 4.4.D: NASCAR Member Conduct of the rule book, which includes member-to-member confrontations, after a physical post-race altercation with Cole Custer in the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville.
And CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship 4 driver Ty Majeski for ThorSport Racing was fined $12,500 by NASCAR for failing to perform a media obligation.
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
