Daniel Suarez Fined $50,000 For Ramming Bowman At COTA

What’s Happening?

Following an on-track incident that left driver of the No. 99 Chevy for Trackhouse Racing turned around and facing the wrong way in turn 1 at COTA, Daniel Suarez started speeding through the field after the checkered flag flew. He caught up with teammate, Ross Chastain, and booted him out of the way at the entrance of pit road. He then turned his attention to Hendrick Driver, Alex Bowman, as he rear-ended him on pit lane with several NASCAR officials, safety, and team personnel standing and working within the vicinity.

NASCAR announced on Wednesday, March 29th, 2023 that Suarez will literally have to pay for his crimes against the NASCAR Rule Book as the Mexico-born racer was fined a whopping $50,000.

You Need To Know:

• The specific incident that upset Suarez in the first place was after a restart heading into turn 1. Suarez’s teammate, Ross Chastain, sailed his car into the hair-pinned turn, using up Alex Bowman instead of his breaks. This started a chain reaction of events as Bowman was then knocked into Suarez. Suarez was furious at the careless driving and decided to show his displeasure on pit road.
• This incident was a result of what is really a hot topic in NASCAR right now: overly aggressive driving. Rather than traditional NASCAR beating and banging racing, drivers all day at COTA (specifically towards the end of the race) were using up one another rather than using their breaks. Chastain’s justification for this was “I’d rather get them before they get me”. That seems to be a common attitude with the young drivers in the NASCAR garage these days.
• Fans seem pretty universal that some course of action needed to be taken here. While many of them agree that the aggression of NASCAR drivers have crossed the line in a spot or two and that the COTA race was an overall embarrassment, they also acknowledge that Suarez’s actions were reckless and dangerous.

The Main Characters

The two primary main characters here are the Trackhouse Teammates, Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain. While Suarez’s actions on Sunday were unacceptable and his fine is justified, there is an argument to say that if Ross hadn’t raced with the reckless abandon he did, would the incident even have happened?

Around The Garage

In The Stands

Austin Travis calls for full-on suspension on Twitter.

tremendation speculates that they’ll be an appeal that Suarez will go on to win.

Dylan Goodin also calls for a suspension. It was a very hazardous move on Suarez’s part.

Noah Smith opens some old wounds, stating that Byron got a points penalty for a comparable incident. Hmm…sort of puts a whole in the whole Hendrick Motorsports favoritism angle, doesn’t it?

On Your Screen

Tonight on the NASCAR Weekly Podcast the gang will be talking about this news as well as the Hendrick appeal. Check it out at 8 est.

From The Pressbox

Here’s a clip of the NASCAR On FOX crew giving their take on #RaceHub.

Jeff Gluck points out that Ty got fined more money AND got points deducted. Apparently NASCAR doesn’t see Suarez’s case as all that comparable…

NASCAR reporter, Matt Weaver, reports this breaking development.

Alan Bailey makes the claim that NASCAR was too easy on him, calling for a suspension and a points penalty.

Daily Downforce contributor, Dale Tanhardt, compares the incident to the time KFB and Happy Harvick tangled on pit road. Looks like a pretty safe comparison to me. Both drivers were fined $25,000.

Did Daniel Suarez get off too easy? Should NASCAR have gone harder? Do you think suspension was even on the table? Let us know and stay tuned to the Daily Downforce for all of your NASCAR coverage.