The NASCAR Cup eliminator at Martinsville was a thriller! Be it Ryan Blaney showing why he’s the best driver of Martinsville, the Team Penske driver has an average finish of 8.3 here, better than any active driver. Or the battle for the last spot in Phoenix between William Byron and Christopher Bell, which had everyone on the edge of their seats till the very end of the race.

While the drama was high in their battle, it came with instances of race manipulation. Presence has shown that NASCAR isn’t kind in such cases. While the blatant unfairness on track led to an uproar from the NASCAR community, the racing organization has finally given its verdict, as heavy penalties have been issued ahead of the season finale.

NASCAR doesn’t leave anyone off the hook after Martinsville

What happened was, in the final stages of the race, it became evident that Blaney would take the checkered flag, and hence the battle for the final spot became even more intense. Initially, Byron was in the 5th position, Bell was in the 19th, and the Hendrick Motorsports driver led by 2 points. However, he was passed by Denny Hamlin, dropping him to 6th, and the point difference was reduced to 1. Another position loss would have meant game over for the #24 team. However, to their luck, following the HMS driver in 7th position was Austin Dillion, and in 8th was Ross Chastain, determined to help their Chevy colleague.

Post-race, through their radio conversations, it was revealed that the two teams coordinated to block the drivers behind them to aid William Byron. This had the points gap maintained at 1, with the #24 leading. However, the Toyota team wasn’t ready to give up either; at the final stretch of the race, Bell somehow passed Bubba Wallace, took the 18th spot, and the points were drawn. And in case of a tie, the driver with the best finish in any of the round three races progresses. And the #20 with his P2 in Las Vegas got the upper hand. However, while he passed the #23 car in the end, he rammed into the wall, riding it to the finish in what looked like Ross Chastain’s Hail Melon move. And NASCAR, having banned the move for safety concerns, eliminated Bell, and Byron made it to the championship 4.

However, it was also speculated that Wallace’s car suddenly slowed down when Bell passed him. While Wallace said he had a tire problem, NASCAR did not find any evidence of his car having any problems post-race. After all the analysis, NASCAR finally decided to penalize all the teams involved in race manipulation. The crew chiefs, spotters, and competition directors of the #1, #3, and #23 teams have been suspended for the last race of the season. The teams will also have to pay a fine of $1,00,000. While the drivers of the respective teams aren’t being suspended, they too have to pay a fine of $1,00,000. In addition to the monetary fines, the teams were also docked 50 points.

The people who would not participate in the Phoenix race are for the Chastain faction – crew chief Phil Surgen, competition executive Tony Lunders, and spotter Brandon McReynolds. For the #3 team: crew chief Justin Alexander, competition executive Keith Rodden, and spotter Brandon Benesch. And lastly, Wallace crew chief Bootie Barker, competition executive Dave Rogers, and spotter Freddie Kraft. All three teams were penalized under the behavioral category for the NASCAR Member Conduct.

And NASCAR was on a penalty spree, as these were not the only penalties issued.

NASCAR’s other penalties for the Martinsville weekend

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Kyle Busch’s No. 8 car at Richard Childress Racing got hit with a penalty for a “loss or separation of an improperly installed tire or wheel from the vehicle during the event.” Because of that, two crew members, Josh Sobecki and Michael Russell, have been suspended for the next two Cup Series points races, including The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2, 2025. This violation was considered a “safety level” issue.

The Cup Series wasn’t the only one facing NASCAR’s brunt. Even in the Xfinity race, Chandler Smith and Cole Custer had a scuffle. As the two fought for the 3rd position in the final stages of the race, Smith bumped Custer out of the way, followed by a similar reaction from Custer. After the race, an infuriated Smith, having been eliminated, punched the SHR driver. Smith was fined $10,000 for member conduct.

Martinsville, being the penultimate race for all three NASCAR series, always produces high-octane drama. The Truck Series is no exception to this. While there was a scuffle between Christian Eckes and Taylor Gray for pushing and shoving, thankfully, it remained limited to verbal punches, which is understandable when so much is at stake. However, in another instance, Ty Majeski, after the race, failed to complete media obligations and was fined $12,500 for NASCAR Member Conduct.

If Martinsville was so intense, one can only imagine the level of drama awaiting at Phoenix! Who do you think will be crowned champion in all three series?