Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott recently reacted to fellow racer Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s penalty from his run-in with Kyle Busch last weekend. The #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver spoke about the contradictions of the same during a pre-race press conference ahead of the 2023 Coca-Cola 600.
Advertisement
Elaborating on how NASCAR used the fight to aggressively promote the past weekend on social media and then penalized Stenhouse Jr. for his behavior, Elliott was left somewhat shocked and confused as he told Bob Pockrass, “75? Thousand? Wow. I heard he got fined, I didn’t know it was 75 grand. It’s a lot of money. That seems wild to me.”
“That seems like a lot for that situation. You’re going to fine him but you’re going to promote with it? Like, what are we doing? That’s a little strange to me. I don’t really agree with that,” he added.
Fight! pic.twitter.com/2ZQhL4VcSy
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 20, 2024
The Dawsonville native was undoubtedly surprised by NASCAR’s penalty which certainly has divided opinions on the topic up and down the fraternity. With the governing body’s decision surrounding such incidents also revolving around the situation leading up to them, it is often hard to judge what sort of reprimand a driver might get after overstepping the rulebook.
Joey Logano yearns for consistency as NASCAR hands Ricky Stenhouse Jr. a $75,000 penalty
2022 NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano took a different approach and reacted to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s recent penalties in the grand scheme of racing in American stock cars. The Team Penske driver urged the governing body to be more consistent and predictable with their decisions to deter drivers from stepping outside the rulebooks on equal grounds.
The #22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver elaborated on the same during a pre-race press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway and told Bob Pockrass, “I’m glad I’m not in the middle of it. I think what we all want is consistency and knowing what the rule is and what’s okay and what’s not okay, that’s all you ask for whether it’s the car, or the restarts, or altercations apparently. Let me know the rules is what I want to know.”
Joey Logano wouldn't say whether the $75K fine to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was appropriate. He hopes for consistent rulings so he knows the rules. pic.twitter.com/y3hD7B5BQT
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 24, 2024
Logano further added on the correct path to take moving forward and said, “I know it’s hard to do, it’s a lot to ask for because every situation could be a little bit different, it’s a judgment call. There’s no black and white.”
NASCAR certainly set a precedent regarding driver penalties last weekend and it remains to be seen if future tussles entail similar fines.
