The 2024 NASCAR season was one for the ages! The closest finish in Cup Series history and a three-wide finish in Atlanta were just some of the moments that made this season iconic. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the sport in 2024. There were times that left many scratching their heads and aching in the moment. Some of the sport’s most controversial moments came from 2024. Let’s take a look at them.
Let’s set the stage. Leading with less than five laps to go, Austin Dillon was ready to break a long winless streak that lasted nearly two years. But after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece tangled with two laps to go, it meant an overtime restart was in order. At the green, Dillon lost the lead to Joey Logano and had just one shot on the white flag to get it back. He got it by driving through the No. 22 before turning Denny Hamlin, who took the lead during the tangle, in Turn 4, winning the race and clinching a spot in the Playoffs. Or at least, that’s what we thought. NASCAR penalized Dillon a few days later, allowing him to keep the win but removing his playoff eligibility. Even after three appeal panels, the No. 3 team was barred from championship contention, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Dillon is already one of the sports’ least-liked drivers. After he wrecked not one but two cars for the win, he became public enemy number one. From Dillon’s spotter screaming “WRECK HIM” on the final lap to Richard Childress denying its purposeful intention during the press conference, fans quickly soured on the situation. Even NASCAR’s decision to remove Dillon from the Playoffs was controversial, as they have never revoked Playoff eligibility for wrecking a driver before Richmond. Dillon would’ve won the race fair and square before the caution. Now? Fans still hold the finish against him to this day.
The finish to the Coke 600, or rather lack thereof. On lap 249, the race was red-flagged due to rain, with Christopher Bell in the lead. With Kyle Larson finishing his Indy 500 run, he quickly flew to Charlotte to complete whatever he could of the Coke 600. As drivers were being called to their cars, NASCAR called the race early due to humidity and declared Bell the winner. Fans stayed up past midnight to see the finish, but all they got was disappointment and a new controversy that will be revisited on this list.
What made fans angry was how close the race was to restarting. The track was all but dry, and again, NASCAR called drivers to their cars. Many speculate that FOX pulled the plug and forced the race to end. Perhaps it was payback for losing the 600 to Amazon Prime in 2025? Or was it the right course of action the sanctioning body had to take? Either way, fans were not happy with NASCAR’s call, especially since plenty of races were red-flagged and restarted after midnight in the past. Most importantly, the chance at Larson running the Double was down the drain, but he will have another shot in 2025.
We mentioned the Coke 600 controversy would lead to another one. Here it is. Since Larson missed NASCAR’s longest race, he was ineligible to compete in the Playoffs despite leading the points, even after missing Charlotte. Hendrick Motorsports had to apply for a waiver for Larson, which they did. While waivers typically are granted or denied within the week, NASCAR uncharacteristically took multiple weeks before finally granting Larson a Playoff waiver for missing the 600. NASCAR stated that his attempt to race at Charlotte, despite missing the start, was their reasoning for granting Larson the waiver. But why did it take so long?
Many speculate that it took so long to grant Larson a waiver because he chose to run the Indy 500 instead of the Coke 600. The Indy 500 was delayed due to rain, meaning Larson had to choose between missing the 500 for Charlotte or missing the start of the 600 to run the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. He chose the latter, which didn’t sit well with NASCAR officials, especially since he previously stated he’d prioritize NASCAR over IndyCar. There was a real belief that Larson would not be granted a waiver, and the points leader would be out of championship contention. Thankfully, he was given the waiver and made a deep run, but it wasn’t without controversy.
The penultimate race of the season. The race that decided the Championship 4. With so much on the line, it was only a matter of time before the manufacturers got involved. In the late laps of the Xfinity 500, Toyota and Chevrolet drivers made moves on the track to help their teammates make it to the Championship Four at Phoenix. Chevy’s Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon blocked behind William Byron, while Toyota’s Bubba Wallace allowed Christopher Bell to pass him on the final lap. Ultimately, Byron took the final Championship 4 spot over Bell, who was penalized for wall-riding on the last lap. While Byron left Martinsville happy he’d compete for a championship, fans were left up in arms at the blatant race manipulation they had seen in the second-to-last race of the season.
NASCAR did penalize the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 23 teams for race manipulation but left the No. 24 and No. 20 teams unscathed. NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell came out saying he was pissed off at what he saw take place at Martinsville, stating that they will penalize manufacturers for race manipulation in the future. Some fans blamed the Playoffs for the manipulation, while others called for Byron and Bell to be knocked out of the Championship 4. It wasn’t a great look for the sport heading into Phoenix, and it’s something NASCAR will have to look at going into 2025.
What can be more controversial than a lawsuit? For years, NASCAR and the teams negotiated a new Charter Agreement for 2025 and beyond. NASCAR came to the teams with a new proposal, giving them a deadline to sign it. While most did, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports did not and instead filed a lawsuit against the sanctioning body for antitrust law, claiming NASCAR is a monopoly on stock car racing. This lawsuit is ongoing, and there is no end in sight until at least the end of 2025.
NASCAR allegedly gave the teams less than six hours to sign the new agreement when they presented it to them. Team owners like Richard Childress said he was strong-armed into signing it, while owners like Rick Hendrick said he got tired of the constant negotiations. These are some of the grounds on which 23XI and FRM are suing the sanctioning body. This lawsuit could change stock car racing as fans know it. The Charter negotiations have been a long, messy process since they began. Culminating in this lawsuit from 23XI and FRM for one of, if not the most controversial moment of the 2024 NASCAR Season.
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