Matt Weaver
NASCAR has issued a penalty to Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith in the form of 50 point and $25,000 for wrecking Taylor Gray for the lead on the final lap of the race on Saturday night at Matinsville Speedway.
The points deduction drops the JR Motorsports driver from sixth in the standings to 13th.
Smith and Gray had traded bump and runs over two runs leading up to the finish. The decisive move came from three car lengths back and wiped out several cars coming to the checkered flag, including teammate Justin Allgaier, who was eligible for a $100,000 Dash4Cash bonus.
“I thought he would have done the same to me,” Smith said after the race. “He moved me if I was in the lead. That’s what you have to do. If you don’t do that, you’re going to be the one getting run over.
“I know that everyone is going to mad and upset at me and say I’m a dirty driver, but I don’t care because everybody does it. If I was just going to accept it and finish second today, then that just wasn’t going to set well with me.”
The move elicited a great deal of criticism from the industry at large, with several drivers and notables calling for NASCAR to respond.
Gray was also fined $5000 for initiating a confrontation with Smith outside of the infield care center after the race. Jeb Burton was also fined $5000 for a similar offense.
Gray was also fined $5000 for initiating a confrontation with Smith outside of the infield care center after the race. Jeb Burton was also fined $5000 for a similar offense.
