NASCAR has now stated in explicit and non-explicit terms what it views as race manipulation, while spelling out details for how it will be enforced and penalized following what transpired in the penultimate race of the 2024 season at Martinsville.
A NASCAR rule book update on Wednesday, section 5.5.A now aims to better define the infraction:
“Any member who attempts to improperly influence the outcome of the event or encourages, persuades, or induces others to do so shall be subject to penalties, as outlined in Section 10 Violations and Disciplinary Action. Prohibited actions include, but are not limited to, intentional planning or conduct that prioritizes objectives other than achieving the best possible competitive result for their team.”
A new section of the rule book, Section 10.5.2.8.c, includes but is not limited to the following penalties for the deemed infractions:
- Loss of 25-50 manufacturer points
- Loss of 30-60 wind-tunnel hours
- Loss of 250-500 RCFD (restricted computational fluid dynamics) test runs
- Loss of 2-4 vehicle tests
Section 10.5.2.8.A of the rule book details: “NASCAR reserves the right to determine if an OEM has violated the NASCAR Rule Book and may impose penalties on the OEM or its representatives accordingly. The following framework serves as a general guideline for assessing OEM penalties. The examples provided are illustrative and not exhaustive, offering clarity on the types and ranges of infractions that may result in penalties, should NASCAR determine enforcement is warranted.”
This is all a byproduct of radio chatter and a visual eye test that showed Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain running side-by-side in a blockade to prevent William Byron from losing any more positions and risk falling out of the final four championship race.
There was radio chatter that seemed to suggest that Bubba Wallace may have been told to lose spots for Christopher Bell as well. The conviction after a thorough review was that the orders came from the manufacturers and the teams were just following orders, thus NASCAR including language that specifically targets the OEMs for such violations moving forward.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.
