The Brickyard 400’s aftermath has left a sour taste in the mouths of Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski. The two drivers were penalized for straying outside the painted lines while exiting the pit road. The entire situation sparked a frustrated response from Dale Earnhardt Jr, who condemned the decision, arguing a warning would have been sufficient. But that’s not all – a racing legend has now joined the chorus, blowing the whistle on NASCAR’s inconsistent rulings that we have so often witnessed this season.

Did NASCAR really overdo it?

“It’s not a great look. The #6 and the #9 should have gotten a warning and said specifically, the last white line is the one we do not want you to cross so stop, next one will be a penalty,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr in the latest episode of ‘The Dale Jr Download’ podcast. But here’s the thing – NASCAR’s rules can be as bewildering as a track with too many hairpin turns!

Echoing the same sentiment, Rick Mast, a former NASCAR driver, emphasized how NASCAR seemed unsure about how to handle the situation. He suggested that a general warning could have been issued to all drivers, rather than singling out just a couple. This inconsistency in applying penalties only adds fuel to the fire of frustration among drivers and fans alike.

In a conversation with Kenny Wallace, the nine-time Xfinity race winner said, “I know Larson said, ‘Well, they’re the only two who got busted so, everybody must have known it well, according to Jr, not everybody must have known it because some of them went outside line, those lines, but they didn’t get busted. And I’m going to tell you, man, that I have to agree with him [Dale Jr] on this also. I’m just not sure that that penalty was right.”

“I just feel like the penalty was way too harsh for the crime committed and really what it did, at least what it did to the nine car, it basically took him out of contention to win the race,” the 67-year-old further said. Notably, both Keselowski and Elliott were handed penalties for pit road violations.

It’s true, that Chase Elliott‘s penalty not only affected his race but also his standing in the championship. After serving his penalty, he found himself a lap down, far from his Top 3 finish at the end of Stage 1, and visibly upset.

In a rare rant, unlike how the #9 driver usually is, he blasted on his team radio: “That’s not right. I did exactly what the [expletive] sheet said to do,” Elliott said. “I mean, what the [expletive]?! […] do exactly what they [expletive] tell us to do. They didn’t say line, they said racing surface, so you tell me how the [expletive] I was on the racing surface.”… Those pieces of [expletive] are sitting up there not doing a [expletive] thing.”

Brad Keselowski, on the other hand, was also ticked off. As per SiriusXMNASCAR Host, Davey Segal, the RFK team owner said, “I don’t understand, what’s the penalty for? “I’ve read the damn email 20 times, that’s not what it said.”

But what is the email and the “racing surface” that everyone keeps talking about?

Brickyard 400 plagued by miscommunication

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The uncertainty surrounding NASCAR’s penalties has been a major talking point this season. And now, to add to add to that misery, an image recently surfaced on social media showing an email NASCAR sent to its Cup teams before the race!

If you pay close attention to the second paragraph, you’ll found written in capitalized words: “You may swing wide beyond the white line on the acceleration lane between Turns 1 and 2, stay off the racing surface.” 

Perhaps NASCAR forgot to mention what the “racing surface” actually constitutes? While this is just out guess, the #6 and #9’s reaction certainly indicate so. However, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior VP of competition would agree to disagree!

Obviously, communication is something that we pride ourselves on, and want to make sure our teams and drivers all understand, our fans understand, any nuances, if you will, around a particular venue that is different. We didn’t get a lot of questions back on the information that went out to the teams, so we felt like we were in a pretty good place,” the executive said in a recent conversation on the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

He also mentioned how NASCAR took steps to ensure there was no miscommunication, saying, “Brad Moron[NASCAR’s Managing Director] and Wayne Alton both send additional language to clarify any confusion that may have come of the videos that at no point could you go up on the racing surface.”

As for the two penalized racers, Chase Elliott finished the Brickyard 400 in P10, and is currently second on the NASCAR standings, while Brad Keselowski finished in 21st spot (also because of his fuel mishap) and sits 9th in the overall standings. While both are comfortably within the playoff bubble, the latest crown jewel race fiasco did hurt.

What do you think about this whole situation? Was NASCAR right in their call or was this an unjust move against two brilliant drivers?