Ty Dillon left Circuit of the Americas (COTA) feeling frustrated and disappointed. On just the fourth lap, he was battling Austin Cindric for position when things took a sudden turn. Cindric right-rear hooked Dillon after he made a pass, sending him into the wall and damaging his car. “We made a pass and got hooked on lap four. That destroyed the whole right front of our car,” Dillon said after the race.

Despite his best efforts, he could only finish 28th. Meanwhile, Cindric, who initiated the contact, continued without much consequence, placing 25th. Many expected NASCAR to come down hard on Cindric, given its past rulings on similar incidents. But when the penalties were announced, the reaction was swift and heated.

NASCAR penalized Cindric with a 50-point deduction and a $50,000 fine. They didn’t suspend him, citing that he was driving on a road course and that his car was slow while he wrecked Dillon. However, many fans and drivers expected a harsher punishment. Two-time Cup series champion Kyle Busch was quick to point out NASCAR’s inconsistencies in punishments and the apparent favoritism in NASCAR’s decision-making.

Kyle Busch raises serious questions on NASCAR!

Kyle Busch has been on both sides of NASCAR’s penalties. NASCAR has penalized him for on-track incidents, while he has also watched other drivers get away with similar actions. After NASCAR ruled on Cindric, Busch didn’t hold back his thoughts. In a conversation with SiriusXM Radio, Rowdy slammed the sanctioning body and called it a poor decision. He insists that NASCAR should punish intent equally, no matter the track or the driver.

“I think the intent is intent. I do not agree with the call there, and I don’t care where it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s Daytona, Talladega, Martinsville, or wherever. There’s intent, and it’s not his first offense, either. So, he got off the hook on that one… I mean, I’ve been guilty of it before, and I’ve been sat out of it before. So, you know, maybe it’s all in who your last name is,” Busch said. And when has Kyle Busch been guilty of this before?

Well, we would have to take you back to 2011 during a Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. under a caution after the two made contact while jostling for second place in the race. The wreck put Hornaday out of the race, and Busch was not let off the hook. He was fined $50,000 and suspended for the rest of the weekend in Texas, causing him to miss the Xfinity and Cup Series Races. So, being in this position before, Busch was understandably upset at the ruling, as he now feels that he was suspended purely because he’s Kyle Busch!

For the Richard Childress Racing driver, it was clear that drivers from certain teams, particularly Roger Penske’s, were getting more leniency. Busch’s frustration was understandable. In recent years, NASCAR has suspended drivers for similar on-track incidents. In 2022, Bubba Wallace hooked Kyle Larson into the wall in Las Vegas, and NASCAR suspended Wallace for one race.

Similarly, in 2023, Chase Elliott wrecked Denny Hamlin at Charlotte and received the same punishment. In both cases, NASCAR cited the intentional nature of the wrecks and the danger posed by right-rear hooks. Yet, in Cindric’s case, there was no suspension—only a points penalty and a fine. Busch and many others in the garage saw this as a double standard. However, NASCAR’s managing director of racing communications, Mike Forde, revealed the reasoning behind the decision.

On the latest episode of the Hauler Talk podcast, Forde said, “The reason we landed on the points and fine is we take every situation and every violation as its own unique incident, and I know fans probably don’t love hearing that, but it‘s said because it’s true. Sure, we do look at past instances to help educate ourselves on how we should handle each subsequent one, but each incident is very different.” However, many fans weren’t convinced.

NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck reported that NASCAR’s new waiver rule might be a reason behind the decision. “From my view, NASCAR made an inconsistent ruling that raises more questions about when RR hooks are suspension-worthy and when they aren’t,” Gluck wrote on X.

The latest rules state that if NASCAR suspends a driver, they lose all of their playoff points. By avoiding a suspension, NASCAR allowed Cindric to keep his playoff hopes intact. The decision led to accusations of favoritism—especially given Team Penske’s influence in the sport. However, not everyone was as lucky as Cindric.

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NASCAR penalized Kyle Larson for a COTA blunder!

While Austin Cindric avoided suspension, another top driver faced a penalty at COTA. NASCAR penalized Kyle Larson and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team after his right front wheel came off before the end of Stage 2. NASCAR ruled it a safety violation and suspended two crew members for the next two races. This decision once again raised questions about consistency.

While NASCAR showed leniency to Cindric for an intentional wreck, it hit Larson’s team with a harsh penalty for an unintentional issue. Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team received good news. NASCAR had originally handed them a massive penalty after the Daytona 500, docking 100 points and suspending crew chief James Small for four races due to alleged modifications to the car’s spoiler. However, Briscoe and his team appealed the decision, arguing that the modifications were unintentional.

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel ruled in Briscoe’s Favor and overturned the penalties. Briscoe immediately took to social media to celebrate. “Biggest points day of my career! We’re back!” he wrote. The change in decision now moves Briscoe to 15th place in the playoff points table from 45th. It’s clear that NASCAR has shifted toward a more intent-based view of policing infractions, but in Cindric’s case, it feels like a cop-out more than simply giving Team Penske the benefit of the doubt. What do you think? Is NASCAR favoring Roger Penske’s side? Should Austin Cindric get suspended? Let us know in the comments!