The ramifications from NASCAR’s visit to the Circuit of the Americas continue even after this weekend’s race at Phoenix Raceway is concluded as Kevin Harvick is backed by the fanbase on what has been yet another controversial decision by the governance.
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Team Penske driver Austin Cindric was penalized after the 2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix for deliberately spinning fellow racer Ty Dillon on the front straight of the track, prompting the governance to hand him a $50,000 fine and strip him of 50 driver points. Historically, such retaliatory moves from a driver have also drawn a one-race suspension from the governing body.
However, Cindric was not suspended for his actions. Former Cup Series driver Harvick did not seem to understand the reasoning behind it, especially when the fraternity has been constantly asking the sport to be black and white with their rule enforcement.
“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,” opined Harvick before this Sunday’s Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
Kevin Harvick: “That’s an awful call … [Austin Cindric] should have been suspended.” pic.twitter.com/PyQVEtqhLY
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 9, 2025
The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion touched on how the elimination of gray areas in the enforcement of the rules will give the fraternity clear answers as to what is and is not allowed in the sport, and the fans seemed to agree. “The golden child getting called out,” wrote one fan, referring to Cindric’s somewhat fortunate time in the sport.
“The only thing that is certain out of all of this is that NASCAR has no idea what their own rules are,” chimed in another, calling out the governing body for interpreting their rules differently and implementing them on a case-to-case basis, despite calls for consistency.
“Penske is one of the teams that NASCAR shows favoritism towards, and this is proof!” opined one fan, alleging that Roger Penske and his team’s stature in the sport was one of the factors deciding whether Cindric should be suspended.
One sentiment that has prevailed among all this has been that “the only NASCAR consistency is inconsistency,” as rightly worded by another follower of the sport.
“Bubba got it, right?”
Speaking on the topic of how NASCAR has been inconsistent with its penalties, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch seemed to have his own interpretation of how and why Austin Cindric was not suspended after his COTA actions.
He elaborated, “You know that’s not his first offence. I don’t know if it’s his second offence. 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’s 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’s defence as to why a suspension was not handed to Cindric came due to the speed at which the incident occurred. Officials also said that since the incident also did not warrant a caution flag, they felt a suspension would have been too harsh. Whether or not the fraternity agrees to it is up for debate.
