Chase Elliott faces possible NASCAR penalty after incident in Chicago
During a NASCAR Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course, Chase Elliott passed Daniel Suarez, but it didn’t last long. Suarez got back on Elliott because Elliott was too aggressive, and turned around. Then Elliott Suarez chased the checkered flag, slowing down and showing his displeasure with the window netting of the No. 99 car peeling off. But will the driver of the No. 9 car be penalized? NASCAR plans to investigate the incident between Elliott and Suarez to determine whether a penalty is necessary.
The driver who could be penalized would be Elliott, as Suarez did not perform much after the checkered flag. Although the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion has a winning record, he is not expected to receive a points penalty since it happened after the race. Any possible penalties announced by NASCAR will be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday in the form of a fine. The same goes for the situation between Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman, where the 23XI Racing driver could be penalized. Elliott may not even be penalized, but NASCAR is expected to review the situation this week.
Bubba Wallace faces possible NASCAR penalty after incident in Chicago
Bubba Wallace left the Chicago Street Course in 13th place, 45 points short of the playoff cut line, but could face a NASCAR penalty this week. After the checkered flag, the window netting on the No. 48 car fell, causing Wallace to slam into the wall, which happened after Bowman spun Wallace earlier in the race.
NASCAR is reviewing Wallace and Bowman’s accident and is expected to announce possible penalties on Tuesday or Wednesday. Based on the 2022 history of 23XI Racing drivers with Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a points penalty should not be ruled out. But it seems unlikely that NASCAR will deduct Wallace points.
In 2023, Daniel Suarez was fined $50,000 for hitting another competitor near a NASCAR official on pit road at the Circuit of the Americas. Last week at Nashville Superspeedway, Carson Hocevar was penalized 25 points and fined $50,000 for throwing Harrison Burton out of the race despite a warning. NASCAR could deduct points because of Wallace’s history, but a fine would likely be imposed as a natural consequence.
