CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Looking to squash any notion that the drivers are running amok on the track, NASCAR suspended Matt Kenseth for two races Tuesday for intentionally wrecking Joey Logano in an act of retaliation that dramatically changed the lineup of drivers in the running for the championship.
The penalty levied against Kenseth is fairly unprecedented. Drivers have been suspended before for on-track actions, but typically only for one race and the policy has not been uniform.
NASCAR said it punished Kenseth because he had no chance at winning and intentionally altered the outcome of Sunday’s race. NASCAR also said it factored aspects of safety in penalizing Kenseth as well as “the fact that the new Chase elimination format puts a premium on each and every race. These actions have no place in NASCAR.”
NASCAR chairman Brian France earlier indicated a tough penalty was in works because the series can’t allow a driver to think the way to “pay back somebody for something that happened is take matters into their own hands.”
In addition, Danica Patrick was fined $50,000 and docked 25 points for intentionally wrecking David Gilliland earlier in the race.
Joe Gibbs Racing immediately said it would appeal for Kenseth, and teammate Denny Hamlin decried the severity of the penalty.
“Thought it was pretty clear from drivers’ reactions after the race that Joey broke driver code. Matt made sure it was enforced. (hash)freematt,” Hamlin posted on Twitter.
Kenseth was nine laps down at Martinsville Speedway when he deliberately drove Logano into the wall. The crash was payback for Logano wrecking Kenseth three races ago in an incident that ultimately led to Kenseth’s elimination from NASCAR’s playoffs.
Kenseth fumed about the Kansas Speedway incident for two weeks and exacted his revenge as Logano was dominating at Martinsville. A victory would have earned Logano a spot in the Nov. 22 title-deciding finale, but he is now last in the eight-driver field with two races remaining as he tries to advance.
Thumbnail photo via Randy Sartin/USA TODAY Sports Images
