Chaos. There was plenty of it at the newly overhauled 2.3-mile Circuit of the Americas track. Despite the road course race proving to be more entertaining than it had been in years, confusion was prevalent amongst the drivers after Shane van Gisbergen reportedly cut the corner on Turn 6 without incurring a penalty. In a sport such as NASCAR, where the finest margins can make all the difference, being able to exceed track limits was a shocking turn of events.

Kyle Busch, who led a race-high 42 laps at COTA, didn’t sugarcoat his words in the post-race interview when asked about the controversy regarding Turn 6. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin has a theory of his own, which may go on to explain NASCAR’s logic in not penalizing drivers.

Denny Hamlin believes that NASCAR wanted to avoid criticism

There was plenty of talk regarding track limits at the Circuit of the Americas. Going into the race, NASCAR had given clear instructions to all its teams that “Vehicles must run the full course at all times.” However, as the race went on, the drivers took a different approach, with many being seen cutting the track specifically on Turn 6. What followed was confusion, as mixed messages were being relayed on the radio. Kyle Busch even went on to say, “I heard they were gonna police turns 4, 5, and 6. And then it turned into 3, 4, 5. And yesterday it was only 4 and 5. So, they ain’t got a clue.”

It’s easy to see why Rowdy felt that way. Turn 6 was somewhat of a pressure point on the road course and was hailed as a ‘calamity corner’ by many fans ahead of the race. Theorizing about why the specific turn was being overlooked by NASCAR, Denny Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental podcast, “My theory is the reason they chose not to judge Turn 6 is because there is a clear view on TV where they shortcutted it and they don’t want a bunch of criticism that they missed this call, missed that call. The other corners they had NASCAR’s personal cameras kind of at the cross overs.”

It seems like NASCAR’s underlying motive behind not penalizing drivers for cutting Turn 6 was that they didn’t want to be accused of having double standards. With the absence of a camera to monitor what drivers were doing at that particular juncture, the sanctioning body didn’t want to be in a situation where they were penalizing nine drivers for exceeding track limits but missing a culprit, giving them an unfair advantage. By allowing more leeway on Turn 6, the organization could ensure that every racer would be competing on a level playing field.

However, Busch wasn’t the only one to feel confused and unhappy about NASCAR’s inconsistent approach towards policing. Hendrick Motorsports Chase Elliott issued a very cynical response, saying, “We’re always confused. We just stay confused. We live confused.” Amid the chaos, Kyle Larson was penalized for misjudging the track limit going into Turn 3, which played a significant factor in the racer finishing 32nd at the end of the race. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Denny Hamlin’s theory may prove to be true, especially because the sanctioning body rarely bends its rules to preserve the integrity of the sport.

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Christopher Bell sheds light on track limit controversy

Denny Hamlin wasn’t the only one who had much to say regarding the Turn 6 track limit at the Circuit of the Americas. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Christopher Bell, was also surprised by NASCAR’s bizarre approach regarding that juncture. The No. 20 Toyota driver became the first driver since 2023 to win consecutive Cup Series races, but that didn’t stop him from expressing his confusion regarding drivers taking a shortcut without incurring a penalty at the 2.3-mile road course.

Sharing his thoughts in the post-race interview, Bell said, “There was a lot of confusion. Well, I was watching the Xfinity race yesterday and I saw several guys cut Turn 6 and not get penalties. And I’m like, man, that’s really weird, really weird. And then early in the race I saw several competitors in front of me cut Turn 6 and break the rule.” The Oklahoman went on to say, “So that changed the way that all of us attacked Turn 6. And it changed the race for sure for the better or the worse, I don’t know. But it definitely changed the style or the technique that you used to get through there.”

It wasn’t the only controversial officiating decision NASCAR made at COTA. Austin Cindric rear-hooking Ty Dillon early on in the race was also completely ignored, despite the incident looking dangerous from the sidelines. While there remains a possibility that the sanctioning body could review the footage and take appropriate action, questions were raised about their apathy at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Could there be any truth in Denny Hamlin’s conspiracy theory regarding track limits? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.