NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer explains decision to penalize Christopher Bell for wall ride at Martinsville

NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer said that the decision to penalize Christopher Bell for riding the wall on the final lap of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway was “pretty straightforward” in accordance with the rulebook.

“Obviously, we look at all the video,” Sawyer said. “As I back up on that and you go back two years ago when we had the situation with Ross [Chastain] here, we went to Phoenix, there was a lot of dialogue with the drivers that that’s not a move that we wanna have to make on the last lap. We were able to make it through Phoenix and had a great championship race that year.

“In the offseason, meeting with the industry, meeting with our drivers, and to a man, that was not a move they wanna have to make. So, there’s language in the rulebook, and you look at it today, he clearly got up against the fence there in [Turns] 3 and 4 and rode the fence all the way through there. That’s strictly to protect our drivers, as well as our fans. That one’s pretty straightforward.”

Bell was penalized 27 minutes after the race concluded as NASCAR took its time in making the correct ruling. Bell, who took the final transfer spot into the Championship 4 at Phoenix next Sunday after passing Bubba Wallace courtesy of his “Hail Melon” remake, is now out of the playoffs.

William Byron, whom Bell passed in points to secure the fourth and final spot, is through to the Championship 4, joining Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney. The latter took the checkered flag at Martinsville to clinch his spot at Phoenix.

As Sawyer mentioned, riding the wall is illegal after Chastain’s “Hail Melon” move at Martinsville two years ago. What became unknown, however, was whether Byron would be penalized as well.

This story is developing…

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