Following an incident at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) involving Team Penske’s Austin Cindric and Kaulig Racing’s Ty Dillon, NASCAR has penalized Cindric for what was deemed an intentional move. The sanction, based on Sections 4.4 B&D of the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct, resulted in a 50-point deduction and a $50,000 fine, according to Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass. Cindric has chosen not to appeal the penalty.
The points deduction significantly impacted Cindric’s standings, dropping him from 11th to 34th. However, his punishment is not as severe as past incidents involving intentional wrecks. In 2022, Bubba Wallace received a one-race suspension for turning Kyle Larson into the wall at Las Vegas, and in 2023, Chase Elliott faced the same consequence for wrecking Denny Hamlin at Charlotte.
NASCAR’s managing director of racing communications, Mike Forde, explained on the Hauler Talk podcast why Cindric was not given a suspension. Factors included the lower speeds at COTA compared to tracks like Las Vegas and Charlotte, as well as the minimal damage sustained by Dillon, who was able to continue racing without a caution flag being thrown.
Cindric’s penalty comes at a tough time, as he was off to a strong start to the season but was involved in late-race crashes at Daytona and Atlanta. A disappointing 25th-place finish at COTA added to his struggles. With NASCAR now heading to Phoenix Raceway for the second race in its West Coast swing (Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Cindric faces a challenge, having never finished in the top 10 in six previous starts at the track.
Additionally, NASCAR issued a separate penalty to Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team after Larson’s right front wheel detached before the end of Stage 2 at COTA. This safety violation, per Sections 8.8.10.4.A&C of the NASCAR Rule Book, means that jackman Brandon Johnson and front tire changer Blaine Anderson will be suspended for the next two races at Phoenix and Las Vegas.
Unlike Cindric, Larson has a strong track record at Phoenix, with 10 top-10 finishes in his last 12 starts there. Despite a tough outing at COTA, where he finished 32nd, he is expected to bounce back this weekend.
