NASCAR shouldn’t penalize Hocevar and Blaney for Bristol brawl but will they?
This writer has always been in favor of a "boys, have it" policy and allowing the drivers to sort out their own problems (within reason). The only time we should see the sanctioning body intercede is when it becomes a real safety issue, like intentionally right-hooking cars into the wall at high speeds or putting bystanders in danger when the car is being used as weapon. But Saturday night at ...…
NASCAR has no intention of penalizing Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney for their post-race brawl at Bristol Motor Speedway, despite the heated confrontation which escalated into punches being thrown. The sanctioning body's new CEO, Steve O'Donnell, has even stated that he is okay with drivers fighting, as he believes it adds to the excitement and authenticity of the sport.
NASCAR's recent history shows that they have largely refrained from penalizing drivers for such incidents, opting instead to address only the most dangerous crew member confrontations. In the most comparable case from 2023, Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson were separated after a similar on-track altercation but received no penalties.
While the culture of NASCAR racing often sees drivers confront each other, NASCAR has avoided penalizing drivers for these disputes unless crew members engage in dangerous behavior.
Written by urgent.news from Motorsport.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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