Controversy is the word you can use to describe last Sunday’s playoff race at Martinsville Speedway. While Ryan Blaney and a relatively improved short-track package deserved all the praise, the race-manipulation tactics made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Every fan and viewer could see the blatant display of two Chevrolet cars protecting the #24 of William Byron.

Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace did something similar by leaving the door open for his fellow Toyota driver to make the pass on the final lap. Technically, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, and Bubba Wallace were trying to alter the end results of the race. And this certainly caught the attention of the fans as they questioned NASCAR’s stance on the use of such dirty tactics. It was as if OEM partnership was valued over delivering a solid race, and this is where many fans felt NASCAR needed to step in.

Someone like Dale Earnhardt Jr., who probably has seen it all in the sport, was baffled to see NASCAR putting up with such shenanigans. It’s not that this is the first instance where drivers tried to fix a race, which is why Jr. feels like NASCAR’s retaliation is a must.

Dale Jr. wants NASCAR to set a new precedent

Whenever NASCAR finds itself in a rough spot for handing out penalties or fines, they often look back at the previous rulings. In this case, the infamous Spin Gate controversy serves as a perfect example that resembles last weekend’s incident. Clint Bowyer from Michael Waltrip Racing was in cahoots with drivers from Front Row Motorsports and Penske Racing to manipulate how drivers would finish the race at Richmond.

NASCAR came down heavily on the teams and drivers involved in the incidents. Michael Waltrip Racing was hit with a $300,000 fine that resulted in the loss of their sponsors, which led to the team’s closure. Truex Jr. was knocked out of the playoffs, and NASCAR also awarded Jeff Gordan a spot in the playoffs. So, a precedent has already been set, which does allow NASCAR to stamp its authority in dealing with race manipulation tactics.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t keen on seeing NASCAR dusting their hands off this situation, rather he wants them to act swiftly. “I will be shocked if NASCAR comes out this week and says we didn’t see anything or we’re not gonna make a call on that. That’s a strategy that we’re gonna allow. Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon are running side by side. William Byron’s right in front of them. He is struggling; he is on old tires. Those two drivers driving Chevrolets are sitting right behind. There’s a lot of chatter on the radio, not direct, do not pass William Byron because it was not really super direct but it was enough information from spotters”

The veteran driver understands that NASCAR is in a sticky spot to not upset the OEMs while delivering a verdict that is just and fair. But he did have a solution that could be put to use, and that is banning the drivers involved in race-manipulating tactics. “Now the #1 and #3 that is absolutely either a one-race suspension for the drivers. That’d probably be a deterrent going forward. Unfortunate as this may be, that might be the best-case scenario for everyone to be able to move forward without a whole lot of collateral damage down the road.”

Well, it looks like NASCAR did hear Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s appeal, as they did announce penalties to the teams involved.

More fines and penalties, but no driver suspension

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Rather than dealing with the drivers, NASCAR chose to penalize the team members through whom drivers received the instructions. All three teams, No. 1, No. 3, and No. 23, will have their spotter, crew chief, and team members suspended for this weekend’s race in Phoenix for violating NASCAR Member Code of Conduct. Moreover, the teams were docked 50 driver and owner points, which could significantly impact their standings after the end of the race this Sunday. A fine of $100,000 has also been imposed on the driver and team owners.

“In this case, we felt like we wanted to focus more on team leadership that we hadn’t done in the past, but I promise you it does not exclude going forward, and we have meetings coming up this week with our drivers, and we will get that point across to them and be very clear that when you do anything that comprises the integrity of our sport, we are going to react.” Elton Sawyer said this in a video briefing.

Although the drivers were let off the hooks this once, NASCAR won’t hesitate in suspending them in case such incidents repeat at races. For a change, the governing body is trying to tackle the issue right from its roots. This is why you see crew chiefs, spotters, and team management members suspended for a race.