The Martinsville Cup Series eliminator was probably as dramatic as it can get. However, it was filled with controversies that have put NASCAR in a pickle, with fans not agreeing with their verdict. In the race, William Byron and Christopher Bell fought for the final spot. However, they weren’t alone! In a blatant display of race manipulation, Byron received help from Chevy teammates Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon, whereas Bell received aid from Bubba Wallace.

The two instances of race manipulation led to an uproar from NASCAR fans. And the racing organization in displaying fairness recently issued penalties. While the #3, #1, and #23 faced heavy penalties, Byron, who’s part of the playoffs because of this stunt, walked off without consequence. While fans ask NASCAR to penalize Byron, Dale Earnhardt Jr comes to the HMS driver’s rescue.

Dale Earnhardt Jr backs William Byron’s Championship 4 spot

It started when, at the end of the Martinsville race, Byron and Bell locked horns after Ryan Blaney looked set to win the race, leaving only one spot vacant. The two drivers only had one point difference with the #24 leading, and losing a spot could have meant game over for Byron. However, his Chevy teammates, Ross Chastain, and Austin Dillon blocked all the drivers behind them. Their radio conversations proved their strategy. On the other side, Bell needed just a single position. And his Toyota colleague, Bubba Wallace, suddenly slowed down to let Bell pass on the last stretch of the race. While the #23 faction credited a tire problem to this, they don’t have proof backing it.

Eventually, the race ended in a draw between them, and Bell progressed thanks to his P2 finish in Las Vegas. According to the NASCAR rule, in case of a draw, the driver with a better finish in any of the three races in round 3 will have the upper hand. Yet, after all this Bell faced elimination for pulling a ‘Hail Melon 2.0’ in the end and Byron made it to the championship 4.

Amid all this drama, fans were waiting for NASCAR to bring its most severe penalties for the culprits involved in this race manipulation. Recently, NASCAR has issued a fine of $1,00,000 on all three drivers, along with deducting 50 points from their season. Also, the three teams (23XI, RCR, and Trackhouse) were fined $1,00,000 each, along with the suspension of their crew chiefs, spotters, and race executives involved in this act for the next race. While this is NASCAR’s attempt to set a precedence, fans argue, wouldn’t it be even harsher if Byron too was penalized and ousted from the final race? However, Dale Earnhardt Jr disagrees with this.

In the recent episode of Dale Jr Download, Jr. said that the #24 did nothing wrong to deserve that. “What did Byron do? He’s not blocking he’s just you could watch him drive that car and see how bad the drive-off was and how much lateral grip he didn’t have. And how hard he was struggling just to stay there. When the #1 actually gets to his right rear quarter he shaded left he was like Hey if freaking he if you’re there I’m going to let you have it.”

According to Dale Jr, there is no proof that William Byron was involved in the manipulation.“If Byron is to get penalized in this I would need to hear some race audio from them that would be very incriminating and I’ve yet to hear it…So I haven’t seen that from the #24.” In a manner of speaking, Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s point does make sense. Byron didn’t actively block a driver or make a move as Bell did.

Regardless, some fans suggested that NASCAR should pull Byron out and put Kyle Larson in, who is next in line in points. Precedence has shown that NASCAR has the power to do this and has also done this.

Can NASCAR pull William Byron out despite not being involved?

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A similar situation arose in 2013. Ryan Newman was on track to clinch the final spot in the 12-driver field during the race at Richmond. However, a late-race spin by Clint Bowyer triggered a caution flag, leading to a series of events that resulted in Newman losing the race and Martin Truex Jr., Bowyer’s teammate, securing the final berth. After a review of Bowyer’s radio conversation, it was revealed that he deliberately spun to get his teammate in.

While there was no evidence of Truex Jr knowing about this or his involvement, NASCAR docked MTJ’s 50 points, leading to him missing out from the Chase. Why couldn’t the same apply in Byron’s case? Dale Jr believes NASCAR gives the drivers the benefit of the doubt in case the proof is missing. Jr said, “You can watch somebody self- spin intentionally and know 99% freaking sure that, that guy spun his damn car out on purpose. But NASCAR’s going to give you the benefit of the doubt until you go run your mouth and I’ve done that. And so NASCAR will give you the benefit of the doubt in this situation as well until there’s incriminating evidence.”

But in the MTJ case, this wasn’t considered, so why is NASCAR considerate of Byron? According to Jr, it would be disappointing if Byron loses a spot and the championship 4 is altered now. “Again the pulling guys out of the rounds and putting other guys….For this type of stuff, it really breaks my confidence in this particular championship race,” Dale Jr added.

What do you think should happen in Byron’s case? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.