“Guess They Wanted a Chevy In There”: NASCAR Slammed for Race Manipulation By Joe Gibbs Insider

Neha Dwivedi | 04/11/2024
Nov 3, 2024; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman (48) enters turn three during the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In the clash between Ryan Blaney’s victory and the uproar over NASCAR’s decision involving Christopher Bell and William Byron, the scales seem to tip toward the latter. The buzz of the final race was overwhelmingly centered on NASCAR’s controversial decision — and with valid reasons.

Several NASCAR insiders have been delving deeply into the matter, echoing statements from Bell’s crew chief. Jeff Gluck of The Athletic voiced on his X account:

“Adam Stevens just told a few of us there’s no equivalency between what Bell did and what Chastain did. Said Bell was passing Bubba and got loose and into the marbles, and there was no intent to wall ride. He says SMT proves it.”

He followed up with another tweet, elaborating on Adam Stevens’ comments regarding the Chevys shielding Byron and congesting the track, stating, “I think that’s a bad look, but bad looks aren’t gonna put me in the Championship 4, apparently. Guess they wanted a Chevy in there. They got one.”

NASCAR analyst Dustin Long shared a video where Bell described his dilemma during the final lap, explaining that he had to choose between crashing into the wall or spinning out. Opting for the former, Bell also pointed fingers at Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain for blocking other drivers as they trailed behind Byron — both driving Chevrolets.

Austin Konenski, a motorsports writer for Motorsportswire and USA Today Sports, also weighed in on the controversy, suggesting that NASCAR seemed to show a preference for Chevrolet throughout the decision-making process. He argued that it’s problematic for the organization to penalize one party while overlooking another.

Konenski didn’t mince words about Chevrolet’s tactics, stating, “I’m not sure how Chevrolet’s race manipulation is ignored. Something needs to be done.”

Did Austin Dillon’s crew chief drop a hint that they were shielding the #24?

The controversy surrounding NASCAR’s decision to penalize Bell for his move, reminiscent of the infamous “Hail Melon” stunt, highlighted another playoff scandal. It came to light that Byron’s Chevrolet teammates, Austin Dillon, and Ross Chastain, were racing in formation behind him.

According to a NASCAR writer at Frontstretch, the radio chatter he overheard made it clear that the actions of the #3 and #1 teams were intentional and coordinated. He noted, “Does the 1 crew chief know the deal?” – radio chatter from the 3 teams that NBC just played.”

Such tactics would typically violate NASCAR’s regulations. However, Sawyer mentioned that NASCAR had not yet reviewed these radio communications but planned to do so early the following week.

Post Edited By: Srijan Mandal
Christopher Bell William Byron

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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