23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace attracted a penalty during the recent Cup Series race in Charlotte for short-cutting the course on the front stretch chicane. The punishment cost him positions right in the early stages of the race. Trouble arose when Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron did the same move as Wallace and was let off scot-free.
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Every driver and crew chief was made to watch a video during the Drivers Meeting before the race. It explicitly stated the rules regarding track limits and the consequences of not following them. So, there was no question of unawareness stemming from the situation. Why the double standard then? Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft explained on a recent episode of Door, Bumper, Clear.
He said, “I told Bubba what that means. Before the race, I said they are going to call penalties in the first 10 laps of the race on non-playoff drivers. That’s how they’re going to do this. They’re going to set the tone that they’re making this call. It’s not going to be somebody that they can negatively affect.” NASCAR officials making examples out of non-playoff drivers, if true, is worrisome.
As Kraft predicted, the likes of Erik Jones and Martin Truex Jr. were penalized as well. Now, the rule is that a driver will be deemed to have missed or shortcutting a turn when all four tires are on the non-track side of the red and white rumble strips. That is, on the blue area that defines the apex of the turns. Going into the chicane, the No. 23 car drove fully into the blue curbing.
Bob, how is one a penalty but the other isn’t? pic.twitter.com/30OJfgQC7c
— Zach (@something_zrl) October 13, 2024
Seconds later, the No. 24 Camaro of Byron did the exact same thing but was not penalized. Though all this appears pretty sketchy and makes the claims of Kraft sound solid, NASCAR had an explanation for its decisions. Mike Forde, the Managing Director of Racing Communications, detailed on his X handle. His take was that all four wheels of Wallace’s car were in the restricted area as against two of Byron’s.
One, this is a dang impressive screen grab by Ed.
Two, the 24’s front and rear lefts are touching the red/white strips. Very close, no doubt. But not a penalty.
All four have to be in the ‘blue’ for it to be a penalty. https://t.co/WQl8VYrFwD
— Mike Forde (@mforde) October 13, 2024
Regardless of the reasoning, fans have been restless against the officials and complaining about unfair practices. Wallace himself was left in the blue about what he’d done wrong to get a penalty.
Watching Byron being let off without repercussions would have only frustrated him more. The dissatisfaction with NASCAR’s decision-making abilities appears to be growing with every race. It is high time the promotion did something about it.
