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Kyle Petty commented on the recent Xfinity 500 race at Martinsville, defending NASCAR against accusations of safety violations. While NASCAR fans have been critical of the organization's decisions, Petty believes Christopher Bell broke the rules in the final race. The seasoned NASCAR veteran didn't offer any comments on Dillon, Chastain, or Wallace. However, he did express that NASCAR had to take such actions and provide clear guidelines on how penalties should be enforced.
“I’m not gonna talk about the 3 [Austin Dillon], I’m not gonna talk about the 1 [Ross Chastain] and I’m not gonna talk about the 23 [Bubba Wallace]. Because let me tell you why, that is a call NASCAR has to make,” Petty said, as quoted by On3.
Although some NASCAR fans are trying to justify the behavior of certain individuals on the track, Petty firmly stands by his position. He focused primarily on Christopher Bell and the fact that he was penalized. Petty doesn’t want to go into further detail, as he believes those are the rules that have to be followed.
“Everyone wants to say Chevy did this, Toyota did that — no, you can’t ride the wall. The 20 car of Christopher Bell, when he got into Turn 3, he gassed her up and came on home with it. And guess what, they loaded it on the truck. And he went back to Charlotte with it, not in the playoffs because he rode the wall. It’s the rule.”- he continued.
Petty stressed that NASCAR took 20 to 30 minutes to decide because they were conducting a thorough investigation. He acknowledged that many people complained about the delay, questioning why it took so long. However, Petty emphasized that the delay was necessary to ensure a well-considered response. The 64-year-old is aware that the leaders of NASCAR are people who must analyze things well and determine where the main problem lies.
Kyle pointed out that NASCAR could have reacted impulsively and sent the driver home right away, but that would have been a rash decision with no real substance or lasting impact. Instead, the careful approach gave the penalty more credibility and weight.
Questions regarding some NASCAR rules have been going on for months and years, and fans still don't understand certain rules. Sometimes, it is difficult to make the right judgment and act in such a way as not to harm someone. Nevertheless, NASCAR leaders strive to create an environment and atmosphere where every driver will be treated equally.
Elton Sawyer reacts
Senior vice president of NASCAR Elton Sawyer confirmed yesterday that he will analyze the behavior of other drivers on the tracks, referring to Dillon, Chastain, and Bubba Wallace. Sawyer pointed out that he will analyze and follow up on everything. Elton admitted that even without criticism, they would have acted that way, reviewed everything, and decided what was the best decision. Sawyer points out that such a practice will be in the future as well, regarding the next races.
Denny Hamlin reacts
There are many renowned figures in the NASCAR scene, including popular driver and team owner Denny Hamlin, who, in a recent media interview, expressed his support for NASCAR's decisions. Although he wasn't initially happy with the outcome, Hamlin stressed that Bell's behavior couldn’t be accepted. The experienced driver also understood Bell's actions, noting that Bell was under pressure and stress, which likely led him to want to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
“In the end, I think they made the right call,” Hamlin said.
“I don’t like it, but they wanted to avoid us wall riding on last laps to either gain or defend positions. C Bell didn’t have to do it. I think there was probably a little bit of panic in the moment because he just shipped it into Turn 3 to try to get past the 23 [Wallace] in a panic because the 23 has issues or is falling back the last few laps. He sees him, he catches him quickly, he knows he needs his spot."
Hamlin explained that Bell drove too hard into the corner, which caused him to lose control and slide into the marbles. This made him hit the wall. In a panic, Bell then tried to speed up and get to the finish line as quickly as possible. Hamlin stressed that if Bell had just lightly brushed the wall and then pulled off, he probably would have been okay.
But getting the car off the wall wasn’t going to be easy, and Bell likely would have had to slow down or almost stop before speeding up again. Finally, Hamlin thought it was the continued contact with the wall that NASCAR didn’t accept, which led to the penalty.
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