NASCAR imposed penalties on Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, Bubba Wallace and their teams for their actions on the Martinsville Speedway track.
All three drivers were penalized for race manipulation during Sunday’s Martinsville NASCAR race, NASCAR announced Tuesday.
Each driver was fined $100,000 and lost 50 driver points. NASCAR also fined the owners of each team, Trackhouse Racing, Richard Childress Racing and 23XI Racing, $100,000 and deducted 50 points from the owners.
Crew chiefs Phil Surgen, Justin Alexander and Bootie Barker, along with their respective observers Brandon McReynolds, Brandon Benesch and Freddie Kraft, have all been suspended for the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.
Chastain and Dillon were penalized for creating a blockade and failing to pass fellow Cheverolet, William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports, in the closing laps of the Xfinity 500. Byron lost the lead late in the race and was in sixth place when Chastain and Dillon caught up to him.
Byron was one point above the cut line and could not be passed by another car to advance to Championship 4.
Wallace was penalized for slowing down for compatriot Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell in the closing laps of the race in a bid to move Bell into the Championship 4 against Byron.
DENNY HAMLIN’S THOUGHTS: Denny Hamlin says NASCAR got Christopher Bell’s ‘Hail Melon’ penalty at Martinsville
FROM LAST WEEK: Winners and losers of the Martinsville NASCAR race: Ryan Blaney wins, Kyle Larson eliminated
On the final lap, Bell drove his Toyota hard into Turn 3 and got loose before hitting the wall and riding the wall to the checkered flag, similar to Chastain’s “Hail Melon” move in 2022. Bell was penalized for a safety violation and Byron was penalized. last place in Championship 4.
Additionally, team principals Tony Lunders, Keith Rodden and Dave Rogers were also suspended for the 2024 finale in Phoenix.
Richard Childress Racing and 23XI Racing announced they would appeal the decision.
Follow sports writer Austin Chastain on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ChastainAJ or contact him by email at [email protected].
This article was originally published on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR: Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon penalized
