Austin Cindric may have avoided a penalty at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), but that doesn’t mean NASCAR made the right call. In a sport where safety is a top priority, allowing intentional right-rear hooks to go unpunished sets a dangerous precedent. Even though Ty Dillon, the driver of the No. 10 car, didn’t crash as a result of Cindric’s move, the intent behind it should have warranted a suspension.
Right-rear hooks are among the most dangerous actions a driver can take on the track. NASCAR has made it clear in the past that these types of moves won’t be tolerated. Bubba Wallace was suspended in 2022 for right-rear hooking Kyle Larson at Las Vegas, and NASCAR’s reasoning was simple—those kinds of incidents can lead to catastrophic wrecks. The fact that Dillon managed to keep control of his car doesn’t change the risk factor. If anything, it raises concerns about whether NASCAR is enforcing its rules consistently.
There’s no excuse for NASCAR to ignore this. Whether intentional or not, right-rear hooks put drivers in unnecessary danger. If NASCAR truly wants to maintain credibility in its rule enforcement, they should have handed down a suspension to Cindric. By letting him off without consequences, they’ve sent a mixed message about what is and isn’t acceptable on the track.
Some may argue that since there was no wreck, there was no need for a penalty. But that logic is flawed. Just because a move didn’t result in a crash this time doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. NASCAR should be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to safety. Cindric’s move was reckless, and it deserved more than just a post-race review.
At the end of the day, NASCAR had an opportunity to reinforce its stance on dangerous driving, and they failed to act. Letting this go unchecked opens the door for more aggressive and risky behavior in future races. If NASCAR wants to uphold its reputation as a fair and consistent governing body, they need to hold all drivers accountable—no matter who they are or what the outcome of their actions may be.
