From engine fellow blockades to whispers of intentionally slowing down on the track, the Martinsville Speedway saw it all. While it is not exactly the best thing to witness on the speedway, it seems as though now it is a constant tussle to shrug off responsibility. Race manipulation is a serious offense and on Sunday it seemed as though the track was filled with such instances. While the Chevy team created and executed a lobby of their own, claims of Team 23XI giving leverage to Christopher Bell have also been making rounds. In this situation, a member of Bubba Wallace’s team highlighted a massive problem in the race ruling.

Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, highlighted just how Christopher Bell’s penalty became a way of ensuring William Byron’s survival.

A tale of two manipulations highlighted by Bubba Wallace’s team

It all started towards the closing laps of the Xfinity 500 when it seemed as though too much was happening on the speedway. William Byron received help from his fellow engine team members, Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon. It was pretty evident that although the two drivers had complete power to run by him, they chose not to. This stemmed from the fact that if Byron lost even one point, he would lose his stand to make it to the Top 4. Not only that, Chastain and Dillon created a block that ensured that no other driver could go past them.

This ensured that Byron was safe from a fall of 4 to 5 position. However, this is not the only controversy related to race manipulation that occurred on Sunday. The 23XI team star driver, Bubba Wallace was also engaged in a similar controversy. Reportedly, Wallace faked a flat tire and slowed down intentionally on the track which allowed Bell to get the upper hand. Given that both Wallace and Bell drive Toyotas, this seemed to be a pre-decided plan. 

Not only that, Team 23 XI and the Joe Gibbs Racing team seem to have a connection with Denny Hamlin in between. While Hamlin is an important part of the Joe Gibbs family, he is the co-owner of Team 23XI. When Bubba Wallace slowed down, it ensured that Bell could take advantage of the momentum and drive past him. Instead, he hit on the upper wall mimicking the Hail Melon move. This made Christopher Bell lose out on the points in this lap and he lost his position at the Top 4. It also further fuels the fire of a “Rick Hendrick favoritism” on track, as a member from the Bubba Wallace camp explained.

Reacting to the same, Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft said, “They saved Byron at least five positions. If it all plays out the same way and you give Bell a wall-riding penalty, how many spots does that cost him? Four. Even with that penalty, Byron would still be out because those guys saved him five positions. So no matter what you think happened with the 23—and I’d be happy to talk about that here in a minute—you can’t say it’s more egregious than what happened with the Chevys, because the Chevys saved him multiple points. At the end of the day, if everything plays out the same and you give the 20 the same penalty, the 20 is still in because of the amount of points they saved the 24”.

What makes the statement by Kraft more viable at the moment is one could hear on the radio that there is a direct discussion between Chastain and his crew chief about whether Dillon and his crew chief were aware of the plan that they were not supposed to cross Byron. Kraft added, “It’s very clear. You can hear on the radio, they’re plainly talking about it: ‘We have a plan, we’re not going to pass him. Here’s the plan, does he know the plan?’ It’s clear as day that they manipulated the race, and it’s way more egregious than anything that happened with the 23”.

Kraft’s statements bring to light the coordinated tactics that heavily influenced the race outcome, pointing to a clear manipulation by the Chevy drivers to secure Byron’s position. This intentional blocking not only altered the natural flow of the race but also questioned NASCAR’s consistency in penalizing such strategies, highlighting potential favoritism on the track towards the Rick Hendrick team. However, Hendrick Motorsports and the rest of the Chevy lobby did not go unpunished.

Penalty and fine for Chastain, Dillon, and Wallace

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NASCAR finally released its stance after widespread allegations of keeping up with race manipulation and sheer favoritism. It ruled that each of the teams involved, 23XI Racing, Richard Childress Racing, and Trackhouse Racing are subject to a penalty of $100,000 each. Not only that, a total of 50 points will be deducted from the driver and owner’s points.

What makes it worse is that there will also be major implications for the crew team members at work. Each of the teams will have to deal with the suspension of their crew chief, spotter, and team executive for one race. With this change in points, Bubba Wallace falls to the 18th position while Chastain continues in the 19th position. There has been a major impact on the standings of Austin Dillon who has fallen off from 28th to the 33rd position.

Given that the finals are on the weekend and have inched so close, the federation has decided that it will allow a speedy re-appeal case on Thursday in case the teams want to do so Reacting to the same, 23XI has published an official statement that speaks about their stance on the negotiation. The announcement read, “aware of the penalty issued by NASCAR stemming from Sunday’s race at Martinsville. We feel strongly that we did not commit any violations during Sunday’s race and we will appeal NASCAR’s ruling”. 

The appeal process will ultimately determine if the penalties stand, but the spotlight on favoritism and manipulation continues to raise questions about fairness and integrity on the track. As NASCAR heads into the finals, the tension around these incidents adds a layer of scrutiny to an already intense championship race.