“That was some absolute b——-.” This was Ty Dillon’s reaction to being right-rear hooked by Roger Penske’s driver at the Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. A right rear hook is considered a cardinal sin in NASCAR. Most NASCAR tracks have retaining walls on the side, and ramming into one of them at high speeds can cause serious damage to the head due to the whiplash faced. Hearing drivers’ concerns, NASCAR revamped their rulebook for 2025, banning right rear hooks completely, with a severe consequence to go with it. However, they remained completely silent after Ty Dillon’s incident, stirring controversy amongst the community.

Over the years, NASCAR has had its fair share of controversies – from Richard Petty’s big engine at Charlotte or the 2013 SpinGate Scandal, the sport found itself in hot waters regarding its fairness and integrity. These moments etched in the sports history help it walk the tightrope between enforcing rules and keeping the racing interesting. However, after the race at COTA, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric was not issued any penalty for his actions going against the rules, and one NASCAR insider feels a suspension is looming.

Roger Penske’s star is in hot water

After having his chances of a win shattered last time when Kyle Larson drove him into the wall at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Austin Cindric came to COTA with a chip on his shoulder. In the pursuit to prove a point and make amends, he was eager to gain positions and move to the front of the pack, but then the unthinkable happened on lap 4 of EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix when he clashed with Ty Dillon, prompting fans to urge NASCAR to take action.

Earlier in the race, Dillon can be seen shoving Austin Cindric off the course during a turn. This move didn’t sit well with the Team Penske driver, who went on to right-rear hook and spin out the Kaulig Racing driver. Infuriated, Dillon was heard on the team radio, “I’m not gonna say anything but you know what I’m thinking. That was some absolute b——-.” 

On the Teardown Podcast with Jeff Gluck, Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi shared his thoughts on the incident: “I’m watching the In-car video…it’s not as deliberate… he does go into him and it does seem intentional so I don’t know how NASCAR handles this… To this point like you’re going to start seeing suspensions on the regular. I don’t know how you handle this.”

While the video evidence is pretty damning, a case can be made that it was entirely accidental. However, NASCAR’s response to the situation is what frustrated everyone. What was NASCAR’s reaction to Roger Penske’s driver’s move on Ty Dillon? Nothing at all. The sanctioning body that has been heavily policing aggressive driving was silent on this incident between the two drivers.

Well, there is a good reason why NASCAR has not suspended Roger Penske’s star yet. According to the new rules, any driver who is suspended from a race will lose all of their playoff points for the rest of the season. So, even if Cindric comes back and wins races to make the playoffs, he can’t collect playoff points until the start of the playoffs. This puts NASCAR in a very tricky position.

 “If you do this, you are really opening up the box,” warned Jordan Bianchi. This might lead to everyone scrutinizing and demanding penalties or suspensions for every incident – similar to soccer’s controversial VAR system. Another reason why NASCAR probably won’t suspend Cindric is the nature of the track where the incident occurred.

On a road course like COTA, which has no retaining walls, a right rear hook isn’t as life-threatening as it is on superspeedways or ovals. While it still is a dangerous and egregious move, maybe NASCAR considered that in not awarding the penalty? Well, as it stands, Roger Penske has gotten off easy. However, time will tell whether NASCAR goes back on their silence. Do you think Cindric will get suspended? Let us know in the comments!