RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece was handed a fine and points penalty for contact with Ty Gibbs during Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, and despite pushback from some fans and drivers, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin has backed the sport’s tough decision.
On lap 101 in Turn 3 of Sunday’s Würth 400, RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece made contact with the rear bumper of Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota entering the corner, sending Gibbs into the outside wall and ending his day with a 36th-place finish.
NASCAR’s review concluded that Preece acted with intent to trigger the incident.
Preece maintained that he did not make contact with Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota, but radio communications before the incident were cited as part of the context regarding intent.
Following the ruling, Preece was docked 25 points and fined $50,000 under Sections 4.3 and 4.4.A section of the NASCAR Rule Book, which outlines member conduct and lists “wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from competition as a result” as a punishable action.
While others like Dale Earnhardt Jr have pushed back at NASCAR’s decision, former Roush driver Mark Martin aligned himself with NASCAR’s call.
Speaking on Dirty Mo Media’s YouTube, Martin said the sanctioning body made the right decision, even as he noted his support for Preece.
“I think NASCAR got it right on this one. A mile and a half racetrack is not the right place to be settling your difference. I have always said and would still love to see these things handled man-to-man, but NASCAR has made that very difficult, and the crew guys have, too.” — Mark Martin
The NASCAR legend argued that settling disputes on a mile-and-a-half track is not the way forward and emphasized the importance of intent in disciplinary calls.
“I would have preferred to have seen Ryan handle it with Ty man-to-man after the race,” Martin said. “But I know that doesn’t work out so well. It still would have been better, because a mile and a half racetrack is not a great place to. . . hit someone.”
Martin went on to say he could see the tension building between the two drivers, but stressed that a driver cannot set up an action, carry it out, and then dismiss it afterward.
Drivers are human, and emotion often takes over in the heat of competition. The sport is built on fire and drive, but that same intensity can spill over. In this case, Martin said, Preece let emotion take the wheel.
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