Recently, NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer opened up about a critical issue that flew under the radar after the Martinsville race. While penalties were handed down to the teams involved in the manipulation controversy, it turns out there’s a deeper layer to the story that NASCAR’s rulebook didn’t quite address.

Sawyer’s reflections on the situation suggest that some key players might have gotten away without facing consequences. As NASCAR looks to tighten its grip on race integrity, Sawyer revealed some surprising truths about where the sport’s rules have fallen short—and what’s next to be fixed. Now, there is no doubt that there are some gaps in the rules as noticed throughout the season, so will NASCAR be able to fix the crucial issue?

Elton Sawyer reveals what NASCAR is doing to make a fair playing field

In a recent reflection on NASCAR’s handling of the Martinsville race manipulation penalties, Elton Sawyer admitted that the rulebook had some critical gaps, especially regarding accountability for manufacturers (OEMs). The race at Martinsville saw the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 23 teams hit with penalties for actions that NASCAR deemed manipulative. Sawyer didn’t mince words when addressing what the rulebook lacked and what NASCAR has to fix.

Sawyer opened up about how NASCAR’s rulebook doesn’t have provisions to penalize OEMs in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, despite the sport’s decades of racing history and the countless controversies surrounding race manipulation over the years. Although NASCAR has long been able to hold teams and drivers accountable, the absence of a mechanism to address manufacturers directly is now proving to be a major blind spot.

“We did discuss adding drivers. We did discuss adding our OEMs to that list,” Sawyer stated. He explained that the rules simply don’t allow NASCAR to penalize OEMs in cases like these—at least, not yet. NASCAR will address this loophole in the off-season, but for now, the penalties focused only on the team executives involved, rather than expanding to drivers or manufacturers. Sawyer clarified that NASCAR’s approach, in this case, was to prioritize penalizing “the executive group around the race teams that are making decisions and providing this information to the drivers.”

Yet, Sawyer acknowledged that drivers ultimately control the car—“driving the car, turning the wheel, pushing the pedals,” as he put it—and NASCAR won’t hesitate to penalize them directly if things don’t improve. “Going forward…we will include drivers in this if we have to,” he warned.

NASCAR has since planned meetings with stakeholders to make it clear: manipulation will no longer be tolerated. The goal, as Sawyer summed up, is to give fans “the best product that we possibly can on the racetrack.” So, while NASCAR may have missed a step with the rulebook this time around, they’re committed to tightening up the regulations to ensure that teams, drivers, and manufacturers all play fair.

Did Chevrolet manipulate the Martinsville race?

NASCAR’s ruling on the Martinsville race could have a massive ripple effect on the future of the playoffs. As the drama unfolded on track, multiple teams were caught in what appeared to be race manipulation, especially with Chevrolet drivers like Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain, and Bubba Wallace involved in questionable scenarios. Dill0n and Chastain rushed to a strong defense of Byron’s Chevy, keeping the attacking Fords at bay.

The controversy reached a boiling point with radio communications hinting at orchestrated strategies to benefit certain drivers, including some clear premeditated moves during the closing laps. Radio messages show drivers and spotters discussing ‘deals’ about helping the other Chevrolet cars. The big question now is how NASCAR will handle the involvement of manufacturers like Chevrolet and Toyota in this mess.

As of now, NASCAR is reviewing all footage and in-car audio, leaving the door open for potential penalties on the manufacturers themselves—a move that could shake up the final playoff positions heading into Phoenix. NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, noting, “We’ll get back, we’ll take all the data, video. We’ll listen to in-car audio. We’ll do all that, as we would any event.”

But there’s a critical dilemma: if penalties are handed down to Chevrolet, would it affect William Byron’s eligibility for the Championship 4? With Chevrolet leading the manufacturers’ points race, a significant penalty could flip the standings, dramatically altering the championship battle. What do you think is a fair decision for NASCAR to make? Share your thoughts in the comments below.