by In a series born from the exploits of bootleggers and outlaws, NASCAR’s history is unsurprisingly marked by decades of collisions and drivers pushing the boundaries of what can be considered acceptable. It’s almost an expectation that there will be an occasional collision, or that a driver will drive full-throttle into the wall to avoid elimination from the playoffs. But collisions, friction or accidents aren’t always racing, and NASCAR officials have stepped in a few times over the years to set things a little straight, even if it meant sending their best players to the penalty box.
But when and where that line was crossed wasn’t always consistent. There were numerous questionable moments that went completely unpunished. The 2010s actually began with NASCAR’s infamous “boys have at it” policy, which encouraged drivers to settle scores with one another. It quickly fell apart when Brad Keselowski was thrown headfirst through the air at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The following season, the series parked Kyle Busch for the weekend after he drove NASCAR Truck Series contender Ron Hornaday Jr. into the outside wall with a right hook under caution. NASCAR abandoned its “have at it” policy after that season, but drivers still managed to continue intentionally eliminating the competition. Here’s a sampling of those incidents and the times when NASCAR took a firm stand against reckless driving.
2012 Phoenix – The Rage of a Patient Man
Background: Jeff Gordon was furious with Clint Bowyer after Bowyer drove three laps to the win at Martinsville, destroying Gordon in the process and costing the NASCAR legend Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th Cup victory. Jimmie Johnson would later take that milestone win for HMS at Darlington.
incident: Gordon was seething with anger, and one should beware of the anger of a patient man. The arguments continued, and eight months later, at the penultimate race of the season, Bowyer was battling for the championship when Gordon rammed him head-on into the wall. A brawl ensued, and Bowyer’s chance of battling for the title was essentially gone.
Penalty: Gordon was given 25 points, fined $100,000 and placed on probation.
Trouble for Clint Bowyer and Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota
Photo by: Action Sports Photography
2015 Martinsville – Eye for an eye forces NASCAR to act
Background: In the current version of NASCAR’s playoffs, winning is your ticket to the next round. That’s even more important during the playoffs themselves, as a driver’s win automatically puts him through to the next round. At Kansas Speedway, Joey Logano had already booked his ticket to the round of eight. Matt Kenseth had not, and was Team Penske’s leading driver late in the race. Logano, known to be one of the most aggressive drivers in NASCAR, forced Kenseth out of the race and out of the playoffs. Logano didn’t need the win, but he still won every race in that round. That would prove costly later on.
Incident: When NASCAR arrived at Martinsville for the start of the next round, Logano was in position to win and secure a spot in the Championship 4 with his fourth consecutive victory. Kenseth was already laps down due to an earlier accident. As Logano lapped him, Kenseth blatantly sent Logano into the outside wall in a shocking act of retaliation. Just like Kenseth before him, Logano was eliminated from the playoffs.
Penalty: NASCAR was undeterred and suspended Kenseth for the next two races, ending a nearly 15-year streak in which he had not missed a single Cup race.
Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photo by: Action Sports Photography
2022 Texas – A Bump ‘n Run to the Bank
Background: Battling for a spot in the Texas playoff race, Hamlin pushed Byron into the wall on the exit of Turn 2. Tempers were already running high before a caution was issued for an accident elsewhere on the track. This was a chance for everyone to calm down… right?
Incident: After the yellow flag, Byron hit the gas and ran into the back of Hamlin, causing him to spin out. Hamlin then harassed him under the yellow flag and almost let the red mist overwhelm him before his better judgment prevailed.
Penalty: Byron was initially given a 25 point deduction and a $50,000 fine. However, on appeal, the penalty was modified to no points deduction and a $100,000 fine.
Watch: Camera in the car: William Byron lets Denny Hamlin compete in Texas under warning
2022 Las Vegas – One week vacation
Background: 2022 marked the start of a new trend as NASCAR got tougher on certain incidents. During the playoff race in Las Vegas, Kyle Larson pushed up the track and Bubba Wallace bounced off the outside wall. Both drivers continued driving.
Incident: A moment later, Wallace made a sharp left turn and collided with Larson against the outside wall. An angry Wallace then approached Larson and a brief scuffle ensued.
Penalty: Wallace was suspended for one race. It was the first suspension for on-track contact in the Cup Series since Kenseth at Martinsville seven years earlier. The biggest similarity was that Larson [or Logano in 2015] was in the playoffs, while the attacker [Wallace in 2022, Kenseth in 2015] was not.
Watch: Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace collide and cause accident in Las Vegas
2023 Phoenix – Actions to the detriment of Denny Hamlin
background: The feud between Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin was a whirlwind of jabs, shoves, spins and hailmelons. It was a highlight of the 2022 season. But even though the calendar turned to a new year, old grudges remained.
Incident: In an overtime restart to begin the 2023 season, Hamlin and Chastain battled in the midfield. With nothing more than a top-10 finish on the line, Hamlin was out to settle the score. Hamlin later claimed he simply “let the wheel go” and intentionally drove them both into the wall.
Penalty: This situation was unique because NASCAR had no intention of penalizing anyone until Hamlin publicly admitted his intentions in his aptly titled weekly podcast Harmful actionsNASCAR deducted 25 points and fined him $50,000.
Watch: Exclusive: Hamlin and Chastain collide in final laps at Phoenix
2023 Coke 600 – A bad day to be popular
Background: In a moment of déjà vu, a confrontation erupts between NASCAR’s most popular driver [Chase Elliott] and one of the most controversial [Denny Hamlin] was eerily similar to a similar clash between Larson/Wallace in Kansas in 2022.
Incident: Hamlin slid up the track while driving side-by-side with Elliott, pushing him into the outside wall during the NASCAR Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Moments later, Elliott jerked the steering wheel to the left and the two drivers crashed violently into the outside wall. It was an ugly accident between two drivers at opposite ends of the popularity spectrum.
Penalty: Because the Kansas incident set a modern precedent, NASCAR suspended Elliott for one race. With these collisions and other questionable moments in the lower divisions, NASCAR had made it clear that intentionally steering other drivers into the outside wall would not be tolerated.
Watch: Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin skid at Charlotte Motor Speedway
2024 Richmond – All or nothing
Background: Austin Dillon came to Richmond 32nd overall and in need of a win. To everyone’s surprise, he emerged at the front of the field and his No. 3 Chevrolet was the car to beat in the final laps. But as he charged toward victory, an untimely caution forced the race into overtime. What was supposed to be an upset for the ages turned into something much uglier.
Incident: After losing the lead on the restart, Dillon drove deep into the final corner in a desperate maneuver on the last lap. But there were no heroics to be seen – just chaos and devastation. First he spun Logano out when he deliberately missed the corner. Then, as Hamlin made his way through the smoke, Dillon made a sharp turn and hooked him into the outside wall. He was the winner of the night and the villain of the garage.
Penalty: NASCAR stripped Dillon of the playoff spot he earned with that win, but he gets to keep the trophy. It also suspended its spotter for three races for calling “break it” over the radio at the crucial moment. Dillon and his team also received 25 points.
Watch: No. 3 team penalized, playoff status revoked after contact with Richmond in final round
Really unprecedented?
In fact, it does happen in NASCAR that the leader spins out, and the sanctioning committee doesn’t usually react to that. If that was all that happened at Richmond, NASCAR might have just let it go. But it’s already been proven that a right hook from another driver is going too far. Plus, it feels like you’re intentionally running over not one but two competitors to win. History says Dillon should have been suspended for a week and that would have been the end of it, but the sanctioning committee chose a different path. Regardless, NASCAR wanted to make an example of Dillon and set a new precedent by drawing a finer line that drivers and teams must carefully walk with any aggressive maneuver, especially with the playoff season approaching.
