Dale Earnhardt Jr. shell-shocked by NASCAR’s $50,000 Austin Cindric verdict - “What’s the point of the penalty?”

Former star driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his honest feelings on NASCAR's most recent rulings on Austin Cindric's right-hook penalty. Cindric was handed a $50,000 fine and penalized with 50 points for right-hooking Ty Dillon at COTA.

Earnhardt Jr. talked about the incident and tried to decode the reasoning behind NASCAR's decision on a recent episode of his podcast.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. tries to find logic in NASCAR's Austin Cindric verdict

Perplexed by NASCAR's lenient decision with Austin Cindric, Dale Earnhardt Jr. talked in-depth about why he thinks the Penske star got away with a suspension. He also seconded drivers like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin sharing their displeasure on NASCAR's verdict.

Popular NASCAR figures like the Most Popular Driver, Chase Elliott, and Bubba Wallace have previously been suspended for right-hooking. It is important to have a stern vision with this rule due to the potentially deadly outcomes that may result if it is not taken seriously.

Speaking on his podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said:

"I understand what some of the drivers are saying as far as Kyle Busch and Denny who were like, 'I don't care if you're going 10mph or 200mph, a right-hook is a right-hook and it shall all be treated the same. Yeah, I don't know if I could agree with that."

The lenient punishment to Austin Cindric was then linked to NASCAR's recent Waiver rule. This means that if Cindric had been suspended, he would have lost all his playoff points for the rest of the season, and NASCAR was not prepared to implement it three weeks into the new season.

Dale Jr. stated:

I hate to assume that; I don't think that's true. I don't believe NASCAR would go, 'Hey man, we don't want to. We've got a rule to suspend on the right hook, and we're not going to do it because we don't want the guy to feel the brunt of the penalty? What's the point of the penalty?

When questioned by his co-host Travis on why not just penalize Austin Cindric, Dale Earnhardt Jr. argued:

"They feel like, in their words, it wasn't that severe because other cars didn't run into them. So because they were going slower, because there wasn't a big crash, it didn't cause a yellow. That's the way NASCAR views these things. I don't agree with it."

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What Kyle Busch said about NASCAR's Austin Cindric's penalty

Kyle Busch was among the drivers who showed his vexation at Team Penske driver getting away from a suspension. The veteran NASCAR driver also brought back Cindric, who was involved in a similar incident in 2023 when he right-hooked Ty Dillon's brother, Austin, at the WWT Raceway.

Syndication: Austin American-Statesman - Source: Imagn

Kyle Busch said, via SiriusXM NASCAR:

"I think intent is intent. I do not agree with the call there. I don't care where it is- Daytona, Martinsville, Watkins Glen and it's not his first time either. He got off with that one."

Busch had a stellar outing at COTA's new layout circuit. He led the majority of laps (42) in the race but eventually lost out to a more dominant Christopher Bell.

NASCAR has been called out by fans and pundits alike for their inconsistent decisions. However, the Austin Cindric verdict felt like a straightforward one, which makes it more surprising that the Penske driver was not suspended.

Do you think NASCAR made the right call, or do you think Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Co. are correct?