When things spiral, they catch several people in the chaos. At this moment, the hot topic in NASCAR is the ‘demolition derby’ that unfolded in Martinsville over the past weekend. The Xfinity Series race got blotches of disrepute for its drivers gone awry, among whom Sammy Smith stood on top. However, even as he received NASCAR’s iron hand of punishment, his victims received the same as well – including Jeb Burton, the son of 5-time Cup Series race winner Ward Burton.
After exchanging a series of barbs with his old ARCA Menards Series rival Taylor Gray, Sammy Smith let his boiling emotions tip over. In the final lap, Smith plowed his car into Gray’s ride, causing a multi-car melee and transferring his anger to other drivers. The resulting fallout invited NASCAR’s collective wrath, spurring a controversy among fans.
Jeb Burton and Co. receive side damages
Well, the entire Xfinity Series race at Martinsville was pure chaos. Several conflicts took place, ranging from Austin Hill’s aggressive moves to Sammy Smith, wreaking vengeance. As a result, 14 caution flags were waved across 104 laps – the most laps under yellow in Xfinity since 2018. Yet Smith’s last-lap antics invited the largest attention as fans and Cup Series veterans – including his own team owner Dale Jr – called for the strictest punishment.
Smith incurred a $25,000 penalty and a 50-point redux from the authorities for his actions. While the community is content with Smith’s hefty fine, it may not be delighted with the other penalties rewarded to Jeb Burton and others.
The son of Ward Burton and the nephew of NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Burton, Jeb Burton, was entangled in the last-lap crash. He teamed up with Taylor Gray to confront Sammy Smith at the infield care center. Apparently, NASCAR and team officials tried to prevent this test post-race exchange from turning physical.
Accordingly, NASCAR slapped Burton and Gray with $5,000 in damages for behavioral penalties, with officials noting violations of Infield Care Center conduct. After this punishment, Burton posted an official message on social media, apologizing for his retaliatory actions.
— Jeb Burton (@JebBurtonRacing) April 1, 2025
Jeb Burton wrote, “I accept NASCAR’s penalty for my conduct after the race in Martinsville. I was frustrated the entire night with the quality of racing and an incident on the final lap pushed me over the edge…apologize for going to the care center to air my grievance with another driver. I greatly appreciate the men and women that look after us each week. I’ll always stick up for myself and my #27 guys.”
According to NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications, Mike Forde, Jeb Burton and Taylor Gray’s actions were questionable. “Taylor and Jeb were in the care center post-race and there was some behavior that (NASCAR officials) felt stepped over the line as far as interrupting a medical situation. The care center is almost an on-site hospital. So the drivers and any competitor that enters that area, there should be a sense of decorum there.”
However, given Sammy Smith’s egregious actions, NASCAR fans believe that Jeb Burton and Co. needed to flout that decorum.
Fans mount charges at NASCAR
“Absolutely infuriating. My blood was boiling inside the motorhome watching it.” These words came from none other than Christopher Bell, who made history earlier this year with a three-peat race victory. Imagine what the fans would feel if a glorious Cup Series driver could have these emotions about Sammy Smith’s antics. They would totally empathize with Jeb Burton’s infield care confrontation. So, they were not happy with NASCAR fining Burton and Gray.
One fan wrote, “I hope they put Sammy Smith on probation for the rest of the year. Taylor and Jeb fine is BS. The most those 2 should have gotten is a sit down in the NASCAR hauler.” Although Mike Forde explained why the penalty was given, that still did not sit well with a fan. They scratched their head and wondered why they penalized such a small action: “What did jeb burton do?”
Moreover, both Taylor Gray and Jeb Burton had an advantage at the end of the race. Gray had the race lead, and the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was within sight of his first NASCAR victory. Jeb Burton, a two-time Xfinity Series race winner, was lurking behind in the top five.
Sammy Smith charged from several car lengths behind and shattered both dreams. So one fan adamantly bashed NASCAR: “No way they penalized the one who got dumped ”
Jeb Burton belongs to a highly respected family in NASCAR. Besides his father’s achievements, his uncle Jeff Burton owns 21 Cup Series and 27 Xfinity Series race wins. Last year, his cousin Harrison Burton won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race. So fans rooted for Jeb to move on from this adversity, just like the rest of his family.
“I don’t think you deserve that, you had every right to be upset and that’s understandable. That’s just me but keep your chin up and keep fighting for wins.” Although the $5 grand penalty is not as hefty as it offended Smith’s fans. Thus, somebody offered to help Jeb Burton: “If a go fund me is made, we will happily pay it for you. Bunch of bull.”
Clearly, people remain unimpressed with NASCAR for penalizing the Martinsville victims. What matters is Jeb Burton keeping his chin up and look forward to the next race.
The post NASCAR Royalty’s Son Forced to Apologize Despite Fans Mounting Backlash Against Martinsville Penalty appeared first on EssentiallySports.