NASCAR’s history of race penalties, punishments for wrecks

In a series born via the exploits of bootleggers and outlaws, NASCAR’s history is unsurprisingly steeped in decades of contact and drivers pushing the limits of what may be deemed acceptable.  There’s almost an expectation to see occasional bump and runs, or a driver full-throttle against the wall to escape playoff elimination. But bumpin’ or rubbin’ or wreckin’ is not always racing, and NASCAR officials have stepped in a few times over the years to set things a bit more straight on track, even if it means placing their best players in the penalty box.

But when or where that line crossed hasn’t always been consistent. There have been numerous questionable moments that have gone completely unpunished. The 2010s actually began with NASCAR’s infamous “Boys have at it” policy, encouraging drivers to settle the score between themselves. It quickly fell apart when Brad Keselowski was sent flying upside down at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The following season, the series parked Kyle Busch for the weekend after he right-hooked NASCAR Truck Series contender Ron Hornaday Jr. into the outside wall, while under caution. NASCAR abandoned its “have at it” policy after that season, yet, drivers have managed to continue about intentionally taking out the competition. Here’s a selected sample of those incidents and when NASCAR decidedly put their foot down on reckless driving.

2012 Phoenix – The fury of a patient man

Background: Jeff Gordon was furious with Clint Bowyer after he made a three-wide move for the win at Martinsville, resulting in wrecking Gordon and costing the NASCAR legend what could have been Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th Cup win. Jimmie Johnson would later earn that milestone victory for HMS at Darlington.

Incident: Gordon was seething, and one should beware the fury of a patient man. The run-ins continued and eight months later, at the penultimate race of the season, Bowyer was in contention for the championship when Gordon hooked him head-on into the wall. An all-out brawl ensued and Bowyer’s opportunity to challenge for the title was essentially extinguished. 

Penalty: Gordon was docked 25 points, fined $100,000, and placed on probation.

2015 Martinsville – An eye for an eye makes NASCAR take action

Background: In NASCAR’s current version of the playoffs, you win and you’re in. That’s even more important during the playoffs themselves as a victory automatically puts a driver into the next round. At Kansas Speedway, Joey Logano had already punched his ticket into the Round of 8. Matt Kenseth had not and was the leading Team Penske driver late in the running. Logano, notably one of the most aggressive drivers in NASCAR, spun Kenseth out of the race and subsequently, out of playoffs. Logano didn’t need the win, yet went on to win every race that round. It would prove costly later.

Incident: When NASCAR arrived in Martinsville for the start of the next round, Logano was in position to win and lock himself into the Championship 4 with a fourth consecutive victory. Kenseth was already laps down from damage in an earlier incident. When Logano lapped him, Kenseth blatantly sent Logano into the outside wall in a shocking display of payback. Just like Kenseth before him, Logano was eliminated from the playoffs.

Penalty: NASCAR did not hold back, suspending Kenseth for the next two races and ending a run of nearly 15 years without missing a single Cup race. 

2022 Texas – A bump ‘n run to the bank

Background: Battling for a spot in the playoff race at Texas, Hamlin pushed Byron up into the wall at the exit of Turn 2. Tempers were flaring even before a caution flew for a crash elsewhere on the track. This was an opportunity for everyone to calm down … right?

Incident: After the caution flag, Byron throttled up and ran into the back of Hamlin, sending him spinning. Hamlin then harassed him under yellow, nearly letting the red mist take over before allowing his better judgment to prevail. 

Penalty: Byron was initially docked 25 points and fined $50,000, but he penalty was later amended on appeal to no points deduction and a $100,000 fine. 

2022 Las Vegas – A one-week vacation

Background: 2022 was the beginning of a new trend as NASCAR took a more hardline approach to certain incidents. During the Las Vegas playoff race, Kyle Larson pushed up the track and Bubba Wallace bounced off the outside wall. Both drivers continued onward.

Incident: Moments later, Wallace turned hard to the left, crashing both himself and Larson into the outside wall. Afterwards, a livid Wallace approached Larson and a brief scuffle ensued.

Penalty: Wallace was suspended for one race in the first suspension for on-track contact in the Cup Series since Kenseth at Martinsville, seven years earlier. The main similarity surrounded the fact that Larson [or Logano in 2015] was in the playoffs while the aggressor [Wallace in 2022, Kenseth in 2015] was not.

2023 Phoenix – Actions Detrimental to Denny Hamlin

Background: The feud between Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin was a whirlwind of bumps, shoves, spins, and Hail Melons. It was a highlight of the 2022 season. Yet even though the calendar flipped to a new year, old grudges remained.

Incident: On an overtime restart early in the 2023 season, Hamlin and Chastain were battling in the middle of the pack. There was nothing at stake other than a top-ten finish, but Hamlin was looking to settle the score. Hamlin later claimed he just “let the wheel go” and purposely walled them both.

Penalty: This situation was unique as NASCAR didn’t intend to penalize anyone until Hamlin publicly admitted to his intentions on his weekly podcast, aptly titled Actions Detrimental. NASCAR docked him 25 points and fined him $50,000.

2023 Coke 600 – A bad day to be popular

Background: In a moment of deja vu, a scrap-up between NASCAR Most Popular Driver [Chase Elliott] and one of its most controversial [Denny Hamlin] eerily resembled a similar clash between Larson/Wallace at Kansas in 2022.

Incident: Hamlin slid up the track while running side-by-side with Elliott, pushing him into the outside wall during NASCAR’s Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Moments later, Elliott yanked the wheel to the left and the two drivers violently impacted the outside wall. It was an ugly crash between two drivers at opposite ends of the spectrum of popularity.

Penalty: With the Kansas incident setting the modern precedent, NASCAR suspended Elliott for one race. Between these run-ins and other sketchy moments from lower divisions, NASCAR had made it clear that intentionally turning fellow drivers into the outside wall would not be tolerated.

2024 Richmond – All or nothing

Background: Austin Dillon entered Richmond 32nd in points and faced an obvious must-win situation. To the shock of just about everyone, he appeared near the front of the field and his No. 3 Chevrolet was the car to beat in the closing laps. But while cruising to victory, an untimely caution pushed the race into overtime. What was about to be an upset for the ages turned into something far more ugly.

Incident: After losing the lead on the restart, Dillon drove deep into the final corner in a last-lap desperation move. There were no heroics to be seen, however—only chaos and mayhem. First, he spun Logano out as he intentionally overdrove the corner. Then, as Hamlin made his way through the smoke, Dillon turned down hard and hooked him into the outside wall. He was the night’s victor, and the villain of the garage.

Penalty: NASCAR stripped Dillon of the playoff spot he earned through that victory, but they’re letting him keep the trophy. They also suspended his spotter for three races, as he came over the radio shouting “wreck him” during the pivotal moment. Dillon and team were also docked 25 points.

Truly unprecedented?

In truth, spinning the leader does happen in NASCAR. Usually, the sanctioning body won’t react to it. If that’s all that had happened at Richmond, perhaps NASCAR would have just let things be. But it’s already been established that right-hooking another driver is taking things too far. There’s also the optics of intentionally running over not one, but two rivals to win. History says that Dillon should have been suspended for a week and that would be the end of it, but the sanctioning body chose a different path. Regardless, NASCAR wanted to make an example of Dillon and set a new precedent, drawing a finer line that drivers and teams will need to cautiously toe with any aggressive maneuver, especially going into the upcoming playoff season.