NASCAR’S Throwback Weekend Gem Turned Ugly Real Quick

NASCAR was riding high this weekend when their three national series made trips to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Darlington Raceway and produced a late-race pass for the in each of the three respective races.

On Saturday evening, Monster Energy Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin set up fellow Cup driver Joey Logano with a last-corner pass to win the Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200, the first of NASCAR’s two throwback events of the weekend.

Sunday afternoon the Camping World Truck Series traveled to Bowmanville, Ontario to CTMP for the Chevrolet Silverado 250. Nearing the Start-Finish line on the final lap at the 2.46 mile road course, Austin Cindric ran into the back of Kaz Grala, spinning him to take the lead after chasing him down for a number of laps. It was a move many saw as controversial, but proved exciting nonetheless.

The main event on Sunday night, the Bojangles Southern 500, did not disappoint. After a mistake entering Pit Road, Denny Hamlin recovered and erased a near 20-second lead from Martin Truex Jr., passing the 78 car with two laps to go after a tire failure on the Bass Pro Shops Camry. Hamlin was able to pull off the Xfinity-Cup sweep and capture his second Southern 500 victory.

By most accounts the weekend was a success, given the throwback paint schemes, legendary commentary team for Stage 2 of the Cup race, and the overall good racing that the tracks produced.

A lot of the NASCAR media talked Monday and Tuesday about the Cindric/Grala incident and how many thought it unsportsmanlike, and unnecessary. Others, including Cindric, defended the move, saying that in the current NASCAR playoff format drivers will do whatever it takes to win, even going as far as “dumping” a fellow competitor. That discussion seemed to be the only negative that would come out of a mostly fantastic weekend of racing.

Then Wednesday happened.

NASCAR announced that Hamlin’s race wining car in the Southern 500 was given an “L1 penalty for violating section 20.14.2 (rear suspension) of the NASCAR Rule Book.” His crew chief, Mike Wheeler, was suspended for two races, and fined $50,000 for the infraction; the owner and driver each lost 25 points, and 5 playoff points. Worst of all, the victory is encumbered (insert sarcastic face).

Hamlin’s Xfinity victory was also encumbered, for the second time this season (see Michigan), for the same rear suspension violation. To top it off, the second place car of Logano also had its finish encumbered for the same violation! As if it was not bad enough that the top four finishers in the Xfinity race were Cup drivers, the winner and runner-up did so with illegal cars!

After two great finishes in NASCAR’s top two series were tainted by Rule Book violations, the Throwback weekend doesn’t seem to have as much of the shine that it had in the hours after it was completed. Hardly anyone is talking about the Truck Series incident, as they’re all focused on that nasty “e” word. Something more severe needs to be done to discourage teams from this type of cheating (yeah I called it cheating), and causing these types of embarrassments for the sport (please read my blog “No Trophy. No Check. No Problem” for further readings on encumbered finishes).