NASCAR announces verdict after Martinsville controversy

NASCAR will not be penalizing anybody over the “team orders” used late in the Martinsville Speedway playoff race which ultimately played into Denny Hamlin’s hands.

In the closing laps of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series round of 8 playoff race at Martinsville Speedway, it was a three-way battle for two Championship 4 spots on points.

Team Penske’s Joey Logano had already locked into the Championship 4 at Kansas Speedway and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott was well out in front of the field and slated to do the same.

With Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski running in fourth place, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick running in 10th and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin running in 12th, one point separated these three drivers.

More from NASCAR Cup Series

Keselowski and Hamlin both led Harvick by one point. But with the tiebreaker being the best finish in the round of 8, Harvick owned that tiebreaker due to his second place finish at Kansas Speedway.

Hamlin was having a rough stint and lost multiple positions, including one to Harvick. But behind him in 12th place was teammate Erik Jones.

Multiple times, it looked as though Jones had more than enough speed to pass the #11 Toyota, especially given how Hamlin’s stint had gone. But multiple times, it was evident that the #20 Toyota had no intention of doing so.

After the race, radio communication revealed the reason.

Jones, who has already been fired by Joe Gibbs Racing for after the 2020 season in favor of Christopher Bell, was told over the radio, “Don’t pass him, Jones. Stay with him and drive what you can.”

Harvick, needing one more point to advance on a tiebreaker, a tiebreaker which would have eliminated Hamlin as opposed to Keselowski, tried to wreck Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch for ninth place in the final turn on the final lap.

That move did not pay off, as Busch still finished in ninth while Harvick crashed and finished in 17th.

However, had Jones passed Hamlin, Hamlin would have dropped below the Championship 4 cut line due to the tiebreaker, as his best finish in the round of 8 was only a ninth place result at Texas Motor Speedway.

Of course, Hamlin could’ve ended up pulling a Harvick and wrecking Jones after being passed to negate that effect, but that likely would have caused another restart, thus not guaranteeing anything for anybody.

NASCAR has acted before to penalize those who violate rules on team orders. Here is what Section 7.5 of the Cup Series Rule Book, pertaining to performance obligation, has to say:

"1. NASCAR requires its Competitor(s) to race at 100% of their ability with the goal of achieving their best possible finishing position in the Events.2. Any Competitor(s) who takes action with the intent to Artificially Alter the finishing positions of the Event or encourages, persuades, or induces others to Artificially Alter the finishing positions of the Event shall be subject to a penalty from NASCAR, as specified in Section 12 Violations and Disciplinary Action.3. “Artificially Alter” shall be defined as actions by any Competitor(s) that show or suggest that the Competitor(s) did not race at 100% of their ability for the purpose of changing finishing positions in the Event, in NASCAR’s sole discretion."

However, after further review, no action was taken in regard to this situation.

Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer were running in seventh and eighth place, respectively, at the end of the race and technically could have allowed Harvick to gain two extra positions without helping Hamlin, thus allowing Harvick to advance.

But Jones’s situation wasn’t a situation of one driver pulling over for another like this one would have been.

Here is what NASCAR said in a statement.

"“After conducting a review of the on-track competition and 20 team radio communication from Sunday’s race at Martinsville, NASCAR will not issue any penalties to the 20 team.”"

Likewise, the #11 team won’t be penalized either.

Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark. Next

As a result, Hamlin is set to advance to the Championship 4 and compete for the title against Elliott, Logano and Keselowski. The season finale is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Phoenix Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 8.

Home/NASCAR Cup Series