NASCAR Has A Huge Problem After In-Car Audio Seemingly Shows Blatant Race Manipulation At Martinsville

The current NASCAR playoff format is extremely unpopular among a number of longtime fans.

But the last two NASCAR Cup Series races, first at Homestead and then at Martinsville, have produced incredible moments that would not be possible if not for the knockout-style championship.

Unfortunately, those races will be overshadowed by the blatant manipulation of both yesterday’s race at Martinsville and the playoffs as a whole that NASCAR seems set to ignore.

NASCAR Constructors Conspire To Manipulate Finish At Martinsville

Let’s set the scene.

Entering Sunday’s race at Martinsville, six drivers were alive for two remaining spots in next week’s championship race in Phoenix.

Two-time champion Joey Logano locked himself into the Championship Four with a win at Las Vegas two weeks ago. While Tyler Reddick, who runs for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing, did the same at Homestead the following week.

That meant that defending series champion Ryan Blaney joined Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell and William Byron were all competing for just two spots.

A win by any of those drivers would lock them in. While one additional spot would be determined by point standings. If none of the six drivers won, both spots would be set by points.

Blaney, as he did a year ago, delivered a clutch performance to win the race and lock himself in with a chance to become the first repeat champion since Jimmie Johnson in 2010.

That left just the one spot up for grabs.

With laps counting down, Byron led Bell by just three points. But then he began to drop down the order. His lead became two points, then only one with around 10 laps remaining.

That’s when things got dirty.

Both Logano and Blaney drive Fords for Team Penske. Reddick runs a Toyota for a 23XI, as does Bell for Joe Gibbs Racing. Byron and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates run Chevrolets.

It just so happens that the cars reeling in Byron as the race wound down also run Chevrolets. And when Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain both ran down Byron with a chance to knock them out of the playoffs, something funny happened.

Austin Dillon’s onboard

What was said on the radio that wouldn’t have been said during a normal race & the finish to the race. pic.twitter.com/ViiiJrHlYk

— Andrew (@Basso488) November 4, 2024

Dillon’s team alerted him that if he passed Byron, then Byron would be eliminated. At that point, he suddenly seemed to stop putting pressure on Byron.

At the same time, Chastain pulled up alongside of Dillon. Dillon asked his team “does he know the deal,” referring to Chastain. Dillon and Chastain then ran side by side for the final 10 or so laps of the race, essentially forming a blockade around Byron.

But it got messier. Much, much messier.

Bubba Wallace, a teammate of Reddick and fellow Toyota driver, seemingly slowed a large amount on the final few laps. Wallace claimed he had a tire going down. And this allowed Bell to pass him on the final lap of the race.

Bubba Wallace’s onboard pic.twitter.com/DMTfiT0f8o

— Andrew (@Basso488) November 4, 2024

That pass tied Bell with Byron. And it initially appeared he’d advance to Phoenix on a tiebreaker, having had the highest finish of the two drivers in the Round of Eight.

But NASCAR deemed that his pass on Byron was illegal. The series claimed he violated a safety rule put in place after Ross Chastain’s legendary “wall ride” pass at Martinsville in 2022 that advanced him to the Championship Four.

That meant Byron advanced, while Bell was left outside looking in.

NASCAR Senior VP of Competition Elton Sawyer said that NASCAR did not investigate either claim of race manipulation, but it could do so later in the week.

Things could change. Maybe NASCAR chooses to eliminate both drivers. But if it doesn’t, the series has a huge mess on its hands and the integrity of the sport is at stake.

The post NASCAR Has A Huge Problem After In-Car Audio Seemingly Shows Blatant Race Manipulation At Martinsville appeared first on BroBible.

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Clay Sauertieg, Khareem Sudlow