NASCAR “Threatened” to Suspend Drivers From Daytona 500 If They Manipulated Championship Race

What’s Happening?

As part of his NASCAR Cup Series championship media tour, Joey Logano appeared on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast. During this interview between former rivals, Logano revealed how NASCAR kept drivers from manipulating Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race.

Martinsville’s Mess

Despite Being “Pissed Off” About Martinsville Finish, NASCAR Confirms Future of The Playoffs

Despite Being “Pissed Off” About Martinsville Finish, NASCAR Confirms Future of The Playoffs

What’s Happening? NASCAR President Steve Phelps and COO Steve O’Donnell sat down with NASCAR’s media for the State of the Sport…

Read More

• In the late laps of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville, Toyota, and Chevrolet drivers made moves on the track with the intention of helping their teammates make it to the Championship Four at Phoenix. Those involved included Chevrolet’s Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon blocking for William Byron and Toyota’s Bubba Wallace allowing Christopher Bell to pass him on the final turn.
• Ultimately, Byron made it as Bell’s pass was followed by a wall ride out of turn three, a move recently made illegal by NASCAR. Following the race, however, fans questioned if this was the playoff’s fault and if it would happen in Phoenix. NASCAR ultimately penalized team members, not the drivers or OEM’s for this race manipulation.
• NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell said last Friday at the State of the Sport Press Conference, “What I saw in Martinsville pissed me off, and it pissed everyone off at NASCAR because we all know better, and we know what happens.”
• Fans and insiders speculated that NASCAR would have a plan to prevent this manufacturer manipulation even if they do not have a method of punishing the OEMs. 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano told Kevin Harvick on Wednesday that NASCAR planned to suspend drivers for the Daytona 500 if they manipulated the championship race.

“They did threaten us before the race that if anyone manipulates the race somehow, you’re not racing the Daytona 500 next year.” — Joey Logano on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast

What Does This Mean For the Future?

• While the surface-level implications of this threat involve suspending a driver for the most important race of the year, the financial implications are even harsher. The purse for the 2024 Daytona 500 was $28,035,991, and perhaps it could be more in 2025.
• When NASCAR sent out Tuesday’s penalty report, no drivers violated this threat, meaning we will not know if NASCAR actually meant it. Logano even questions the legitimacy of this threat to Harvick. “Is that a threat,” Logano said. “Is that real?”
• While NASCAR did not get the opportunity to flex its muscles, this threat shows they mean business about race manipulation. This further raises questions about whether NASCAR will develop a way in the offseason to penalize OEMs for such an act. O’Donnell said this much last Friday when asked about OEM manipulation. “We’re not going to let people, drivers, teams, anyone, OEMs challenge the integrity of the sport,” said O’Donnell.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinions on Discord or X, and don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.