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It was expected that the Martinsville race would bring excitement, just as fans had predicted, and several controversies were expected. During the race, there was radio communication between Ross Chastain's team and Austin Dillon's team that suggested they had a plan for the final lap, which included a battle between William Byron and Christopher Bell for a spot in the championship. Dillon's team mentioned that they "knew the deal," and someone asked if Chastain's crew chief was aware of the plan. Chastain's team also discussed Byron's position as they approached the last lap.
NASCAR on TSN shared the radio communication and stressed that it was "quite similar to Richmond in 2013," a race that was filled with controversy and reminded fans of a very specific event from 11 years ago. In that Richmond race, three teams; Michael Waltrip Racing, Penske Racing, and Front Row Motorsports; were involved in two separate but related incidents.
Clint Bowyer caused a caution with less than two laps left in the final race of the regular season, which affected many drivers, but Martin Truex Jr. was particularly impacted. He was the one who benefited most from the situation, as it allowed him to secure a playoff spot as a wildcard over Ryan Newman after Brian Vickers pitted.
Fans often comment on these situations, expressing their opinions about the fairness and integrity of the races. Many still feel that the events of that race in 2013 spoiled the image of NASCAR, leading to endless debates about how such incidents affect the sport’s reputation.
The 2013 season was one of the less successful years for Martin Truex Jr., who eventually finished 16th in the overall standings. That year, Jimmie Johnson claimed victory in a fiercely competitive field. However, in the years that followed, Truex Jr. made huge progress, steadily improving and establishing himself as one of the top drivers in NASCAR, achieving amazing successes along the way.
Elton Sawyer's reaction
Of course, assumptions are immediately made and questions are asked about the behavior of Chastain and Dillon on the tracks, considering that they wanted to help their Chevrolet team to go one step further. Elton Sawyer has a slightly different opinion, putting an accent on the situation between Byron and Wallace, wanting to emphasize that NASCAR leaders will no longer have patience for such situations.
“The situations going on with 23 (Bubba Wallace) and the cars behind the 24 (William Byron) really have no bearing at this time. We’ll look at those at a later time. When you really just dissect exactly what happened, look at the situation with the 20 (Bell) hitting up against the fence and riding the fence, we clearly stated in our statement after Ross did that would not be accepted.”- Sawyer said.
Byron thus achieved what he intended before the race, and will have a place in the next round. Many believe that this very moment could be a great incentive for him to go all the way and try to win the NASCAR championship. It is known that situations like these can often be a wind at the driver's back to turn things in his favor.
We will see how much strength Byron really has when it comes to such a feat. He will have an extremely difficult task, but his team has high hopes that the popular driver will make everyone's dream come true.
William Byron reacts to the race: I have a hard time feeling happy in this situation
After everything, 26-year-old Byron admitted that it is difficult to give a final answer about what he feels when it comes to the last race. It seems as if the young driver has mixed emotions, but he points out that the most important thing is to respect the rules and follow them from race to race. Byron took advantage of the momentum and the penalty for the opponent. Of course, he could not hide his excitement and happiness considering that he will race for the championship. Such opportunities not present themselves many times in their career, and Byron is ready to do anything to turn things in his favor.
“I don’t know what to think. I have a hard time feeling happy in this situation. We just raced as hard as we could and raced within the rules and everything like that, so it is what it is at that point.
We were tied on points, and like I said, the wall ride is what it is. We just had to fight through that. I don’t know. I’m glad to race for a championship, that’s for sure.”-Byron said.
English (US)