The NASCAR Cup Series championship final four was largely decided under controversial and dubious circumstances on Sunday night at Martinsville Speedway.
Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick had already won their way into a chance to race for the championship at Las Vegas and Homestead respectively. Ryan Blaney won the race but everything that transpired behind him was dubious and maybe even illicit.
Christopher Bell claimed the final spot in a tiebreaker over William Byron but NASCAR determined he committed a safety violation by riding full throttle into the wall in Turn 4.
However, Byron only advanced due to an assist from fellow Chevrolet drivers Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon, who rode side-by-side behind him without any real efforts to pass him. Making matters even more nefarious is that there was radio communication on each team radio referring to ‘the deal’ and constant updates regarding what Byron would need to advance over Bell.
It felt like race manipulation akin to the 2013 regular season finale at Richmond where Michael Waltrip Racing ordered driver Clint Bowyer to intentionally spin to help Martin Truex Jr. have a chance to overtake Jeff Gordon in the points at the same time Team Penske and Front Row conspired over their radios to do what it took to advance Logano.
Bell certainly had some concerns about how that played out.
“It was clear what was going on with the 24, because he fell back to me almost a straightaway or something, but … it just wasn’t meant to be today and this year and we accomplished a lot and I’m proud of that.”
NASCAR is looking into the matter in advance of an expected penalty day on Tuesday.
Gordon, who is now the executive vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, said he hasn’t talked to NASCAR about any punitive action but defended how the Chevrolet teams all work together over the course of the season.
“You know, one thing that we do all year long, and this is something that we build on year-after-year as an organization and with Chevrolet, is having these conversations, how do we work together,” Gordon said. “How do we not work against one another and how do we share information and be aware of one another on the race track, all year long, but especially when you get to the playoffs.
“Your job as a driver, and team, and crew chief, is to be aware of what is on the line and knowing who is in the championship hunt and who has a shot to transfer through if they win or who is tied on points.
“So, that’s what you saw play out yesterday – individuals out there racing as hard as they could but making sure they were aware of where others are and what they had on the line. It just means you don’t wreck someone or you give them more room and that’s what I saw play out from a Chevy side of things.”
Gordon didn’t address the other part of the matter, however, which was just two cars from other teams flat out refusing to pass a fellow Chevrolet and backing up the entire field behind them as a result.
Team Penske’s executive vice president Walt Czarnecki was diplomatic when asked about it on Monday and praised NASCAR for its handling of these scenarios.
“Listen, NASCAR’s done a great job, I think,” Czarnecki said, “in handing these races and these difficult situations. To be very honest with you, I really wasn’t aware of what was going on at the end. I was so focused on Ryan Blaney and praying that there would not be a caution in those last 10 or 15 laps. I didn’t pay much attention to what else was happening but NASCAR’s got a pretty good handle on it and I think they’ve got things under control.”
Gordon said this is increasingly the byproduct of NASCAR’s pursuit of parity and a division that now features spec cars and incredibly close racing as a result.
“You’re just looking for thousandths of a inch and a second in everything from pit stops to lap times,” Gordon said. “We’re just looking at all the fine details.
“I think that’s what the (manufacturers) are doing too. I mean, they’re a huge part of what we do. They’re that technical aspect of what they do to help us go out and perform at a high level and Chevrolet wants all the teams there at that high level. In return, we want to make sure that we secure wins and championships for our OEM.
“So I think it’s really just everybody pushing and finding all the areas of how you can be as competitive as possible week in and week out, and try to get to this Championship Four and try to win this championship. So I don’t think this is outside the lines, if you want to put it that way.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.