"The inmates don’t run the asylum": Chase Elliott's spotter gives his verdict about Josh Williams' parking-incident

Chase Elliott's spotter, Eddie D'Hondt, recently gave his opinion on Josh Williams' incident at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The #92 driver disobeyed the orders of race officials and parked his car on the start-finish line. NASCAR announced a one-race suspension for Williams on March 21, forcing the Xfinity driver to miss the race at the Circuit of the Americas.

The bizarre incident has divided opinions amongst drivers, team members, and fans. While many believe that Williams was fairly punished, others argued that he shouldn't have been penalized, referencing various incidents where damaged cars weren't parked.

D'Hondt believes that Josh Williams' actions deserved a bigger penalty. The #9 spotter gave his verdict via a tweet that read:

"For J. Williams to purposely park his car @ S/F line & leave it..thus delaying the race for an extended period, is wrong on so many levels. @nascar-even when we don’t agree with them, is to be respected at all times. The inmates don’t run the asylum. He got off easy. Unfollow me."

D'Hondt argued that drivers and team members might have differing opinions from NASCAR, however, they must follow their orders in any case. According to him, the orders of the governing body should be respected at all times.

NASCAR can order a car off the track according to the Damaged Vehicle Policy mentioned in Section 8.8.9.I of the Xfinity Rule Book.

Eddie D'Hondt might have a valid argument, as he has been around the NASCAR garage for many years. D'Hondt has previously worked with Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon in the same role. He also served as the general manager for Evernham Motorsports in the 2000s, working with Chase Elliott's father, Bill Elliott.

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Chase Elliott's substitute Jordan Taylor excited for Cup series debut

IMSA driver Jordan Taylor is set to make his Cup Series debut, substituting for the injured Chase Elliott. The 31-year-old will drive the #9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports during Sunday's EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.

The three-time IMSA champion has two wins from four starts at COTA in IMSA races. Taylor expressed his excitement for his debut race in an interview with Racing America, where he said:

"I’m super excited because I know I’m in probably the best car any road course guy has ever gotten to drive. The scary thing is every road course guy that goes there, seems to struggle some. So, I know it’s going to be difficult. [Having such a good car] almost sets the expectations too high."

Although Taylor is nervous about making his debut in Chase Elliott's absence, he wants to make the most of the outing, as he termed it a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'.