Austin Cindric was penalized in the Circuit of the Americas for purposefully crashing into Ty Dillon. He was fined $50,000 and docked 50 points for his action. Such moves usually result in a suspension for the driver. However, NASCAR said that the speed at which Cindric right-hooked Dillon was too slow even to warrant a caution and, hence, he wouldn’t be suspended.
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This decision received backlash from several fans and drivers. Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, in particular, voiced their opposition to the promotion for being inconsistent with its rules.
Busch went a step further and accused NASCAR of making calls based on the last name of a driver. It is at this juncture that Denny Hamlin has intervened with his take on the matter.
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran said on Actions Detrimental that the punishment given to Cindric fit the crime that he committed. He agreed that the rule book wasn’t followed but took solace from the fact that the offender at least had to pay a price. Moreover, a point that Dale Earnhardt Jr. had made earlier sat well with him.
Fifty points being docked from his tally is a more severe punishment to Cindric than suspending him for one race. Hamlin explained, “If you probably look at Austin Cindric’s performance history, I bet he probably averages 25 points a race. I think it’s two races worth of… So, that’s a great point by Dale. It probably is worse than a suspension, truthfully.”
The criticisms of Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch
The NASCAR community has been demanding rules to be black and white for a long time now. However, the promotion continues to deal with each situation uniquely, trying to be overtly fair in its calls. Harvick doesn’t understand why this is being done. He said in Phoenix last weekend, “It’s an awful call.”
“This is something that is unanimously decided on from the driver’s side of it that needs to be black and white. Now, we don’t know exactly where we stand.” The two-time Cup Series champion Busch wasn’t so soft in his criticism. He accused the promotion of favoritism and said, “Some guys get off on based off who I think their last name is.”
“I mean, Bubba (Wallace) got it (a suspension), right? At Vegas. I got it before, so I think there are a couple of other guys who have got it. Put it in the rulebook: A right hook will result in a one-race suspension. Period.” NASCAR defended itself by stating that it does not care how it looks in the eyes of others and that it will continue to provide the right judgment in each scenario.
