The NASCAR Cup Series never fails to entertain, it seems. In the recently concluded Bristol race, the drama was available in abundance. Christopher Bell may have registered the victory, but it was the Kyle Larson and Ryan Preece incident that took away all the limelight.
However, despite not acting promptly on it, NASCAR finally looks to be heading in the right direction.
While the governing body has imposed several penalties during this campaign, they have been time and again criticized for their inconsistency. Nevertheless, in this case, they seem to learn from their lessons.
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Better late than never as NASCAR cautions to act on the Kyle Larson and Ryan Preece Bristol incident
In a season where Denny Hamlin was penalized too late for his wrecking act on Ross Chastain at Phoenix, NASCAR has to be more cautious than ever. It was not until the Joe Gibbs Racing driver admitted on his podcast that his ruling came into existence.
At Bristol, Ryan Preece was allegedly guilty of ramming Kyle Larson’s car into the wall in the 174th lap of the Bristol race. The incident saw the Hendrick Motorsports star get knocked out of the race and raise eyebrows with the “intent” behind the Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s move.
While no action is yet taken by NASCAR about it, it hasn’t gone down well with many. Especially considering what happened to Hamlin, a response was expected in this case too. However, NASCAR’s Senior VP of Competition, Elton Sawyer, has given some hope with his latest statements.
Kyle Larson and Ryan Preece have had 𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 in Bristol. https://t.co/FvM32VtQcJ pic.twitter.com/UD0gg2pAwm
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 10, 2023
As per NASCAR.com, he said, “If you look back at Bristol in general, there was again a lot of beating and banging there, I mean it’s Bristol. So let’s take that into consideration to start with. And then, we’ll take a deeper dive into all of those issues that potentially will arise from Bristol and we’ll just take a deeper dive into them, maybe see anything.”
Sawyer continued, “We have some guys more happy with each other after the race but we will take a deeper dive today and see if there’s anything that may have come after that we need to take action on.” While this may somewhat reassure the fans, his recent statements still don’t clear the future of the Bristol dirt track.
Elton Sawyer gives an update on the bleak future of the Bristol dirt race track
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It is no secret how plenty have grown out of favor of the make-shift dirt race track at Bristol. And with the Cup cars not well suited to race on such a track, it only makes it more difficult to support the case.
🗣️ "Those decisions are not made in a vacuum. They're made with a lot on input."
🏁 #NASCAR SVP of Competition Elton Sawyer addressed the future of the Bristol Dirt Race and the factors associated with evaluating the future of the event for 2024 and beyond. pic.twitter.com/eR6mipdwjE
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) April 11, 2023
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However, Sawyer gave the fans an update on what basis will the track’s future be determined. He said, “All those things we put on the table. You look at the logistics, you look at the time of year, you look at the facility.”
Sawyer even mentioned that the race’s end results, fans’ responses and the crowd turn-up, the opinion of broadcasting partners, Speedway Motorsports, and NASCAR’s executive team play a key role in determining the outcome. He said, “So all of those things, you know, those decisions are not made in a vacuum.”
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WATCH THIS STORY: “Such a Whiner”: Fans Bash “Crybaby” Kyle Larson for Ranting After Being Taken Out by Ryan Preece’s Retaliation
While NASCAR still contemplates the track’s future, it would be interesting to see how much they wait before concluding their judgment on the Kyle Larson and Ryan Preece incident. What do you think should be the right outcome? Let us know in the comments below.