“In this case, we did feel it was significantly different than the previous two. And the reasons are, you look at it, it is at a road course (with) lower speed, tight confines to begin with.” This was NASCAR’s Mike Forde explaining the controversial decision for not suspending Austin Cindric after right-hooking Ty Dillon at COTA.
Given that NASCAR has already set a precedent with such egregious calls in the past, many were expecting a similar treatment to Cindric. “I think 50 points and $50,000 is probably enough to make him think about doing something like that again. You hope it’s enough, but I think a one-race suspension is what most of us expected,” said Dillon after NASCAR announced the ruling. And even former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick agreed with Dillon’s call for race suspension.
The controversy stems from NASCAR’s decision to fine Austin Cindric $50,000 and dock him 50 driver points – but not suspend him – after Cindric hit Ty Dillon’s right rear quarter panel on the front stretch at COTA. We’ve seen the sanctioning body suspend the likes of Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace in the past for similar incidents. But, for some reason, NASCAR showed leniency while dealing with Cindric’s case, and let’s just say Harvick is livid with how the sanctioning body is constantly flip-flopping with such decisions.
“That’s an awful call,” Harvick said on the Happy Hour podcast. “As a driver, the way things have gone in this particular (NextGen) car, what the injuries are with the head, this is something unanimously decided on from the drivers’ side of it that needs to be black and white… Whether you’re going 35 miles an hour or 135 miles an hour, he should have been suspended.”
But here’s the tricky part and it all boils down to NASCAR’s new waiver rule policy. Back in the day, Chase Elliott got the waiver to participate in the playoffs despite wrecking Hamlin at Charlotte. But, with the new rule, the sanctioning body tried to take themselves out of the situation. Ideally, this was supposed to tackle Kyle Larson missing the Coca-Cola 600 race last race but now it’s landed them in trouble with a suspension call.
The new waiver policy will only grant exemptions for drivers in case of family or medical emergencies. So if a driver misses a race they will lose out on all the playoff points they’ve collected in 26 regular season races. Now with this rule in place, had NASCAR suspended Austin Cindric, he would have missed a race and in turn, lost out on the playoff points just 3 races into the season. Now that would’ve been detrimental to Penske driver’s hope of making it to the playoffs. But, could NASCAR have dealt with this situation better, Harvick believes so.
“In my opinion, those calls need to be done during the race. When you see it that blatant, park them, put them in the garage. You hooked them into the right rear, you’re done for the day. We will decide on Wednesday if you need more of a penalty. Right hook, left hook, road course, intermediate. I don’t give a sh-t where it is. Now they’ve made themselves look like fools that is so simple to call.” Harvick added.
Well, that’s one way to avoid the controversy. But it seems like there’s a pattern with NASCAR’s officiating that needs to have some sort of a thumb rule or consistency.
NASCAR’s Officiating Crisis is a Growing Concern
This isn’t the first time this season NASCAR’s decision-making has come under fire. Earlier this year, inconsistencies in caution flags at Daytona became a flashpoint. During Duel 2, officials threw a yellow flag just before Erik Jones and Cindric reached the finish line, giving Cindric the win. Yet three days later at the Daytona 500, officials didn’t throw a caution despite a multi-car wreck on the final overtime lap, allowing William Byron to take the checkered flag.
These inconsistencies have historical precedents that make Harvick’s criticism particularly pointed. Bubba Wallace received a one-race suspension after hitting Kyle Larson in the right rear quarter panel during a 2022 Las Vegas race. Similarly, Chase Elliott was suspended for hooking Denny Hamlin in the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“It opens you up to make you look like you’re favoring certain people and not making examples out of others,” Harvick said on his podcast, getting to the heart of his concern. “It looks like you’re favoring certain drivers over other drivers. And it’s not hard. It’s as simple as it can get.”
As NASCAR moves forward in the 2025 season, the question remains whether officials will heed these increasingly vocal calls for consistency from one of the sport’s most respected voices.
The post “I Don’t Give a Sh-t” – Livid Kevin Harvick Goes Ballistic as He Lashes Out at NASCAR’s Questionable Policing appeared first on EssentiallySports.