Veteran NASCAR spotter drops 4-word reaction to JR Motorsports’ decision after NASCAR’s hefty penalty for Sammy Smith

JR Motorsports has decided against appealing for their #8 driver, Sammy Smith, after he was fined $25,000 and docked 50 points in US Marine Corps 250. Veteran NASCAR Cup Series spotter Brett Griffin has weighed in on the decision made by the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned team.

JR Motorsports driver of the #8 Pilot Chevrolet, Smith, bumped Taylor Gray's rear on the final corner of the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville, which led to a multi-car pileup on the last lap. He was subsequently penalized by NASCAR and also had 50 championship points removed, which saw him drop from sixth to 13th.

However, JR Motorsport will not plead before the National Motorsports Appeals Panel against the penalty. NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass broke the news on X when he wrote:

"JR Motorsports will not appeal the penalty to Sammy Smith"

Responding to the post, Brett Griffin wrote a brief comment:

"They should celebrate it."

Griffin is a media personality who is known for his humorous takes on NASCAR matters. He probably meant that Smith should take the penalty as a learning experience. The 20-year-old is in his second full-time season with JR Motorsports and was "not proud" of his last lap maneuver. Speaking after the race, he told NASCAR:

"Absolutely, it was egregious. I'm not proud of that, but roles reversed, he would have done the same thing. He has got no respect for me. I didn't move him those first (few laps) prior to restarts. He was flipping me off on the red flag, swerving at me. It's definitely uncalled for. Not proud of it, but he would have done the exact same thing."

The JR Motorsports youngster drove the fastest lap on Saturday at the Xfinity race and led for six laps in the final stretch. However, a reckless bump-and-run move on Gray in the last lap caught him up in a multi-car wreck that followed as he finished in the tenth place. Austin Hill was able to escape the chaos, driving on the low line, and took home the victory for Richard Childress Racing.

JR Motorsports owner wants to help Sammy Smith 'clean up' after Martinsville Xfinity race

Sammy Smith talks with team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. before the United Rentals 300 on February 15, 2025 - Source: Getty

Amid the ongoing debate regarding the incident, JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr has shared his perspective. While Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged the backlash on the US Marine Corps 250 ending, he also expressed his desire to move from the incident in the right direction. Speaking on his Dale Jr. Download podcast, he said:

"You all can continue to be pissed and think what you want. But for me I got to shift to what do I do to give Sammy the best advice, the most honest advice I can, to help him shift to to do better. I got to figure out how Sammy can clean this up. It's a mess he's made. In the end, I got to support him and and try to give him the tools and the knowledge to make the better decision next time." (9:47 onwards)

Despite his initial overreaction, Earnhardt Jr. believes that his priority is to mentor Smith and help him rebound from this incident.

The Martinsville race took 2.5 hours to complete the 250-lap race with 14 cautions and 102 caution laps. NASCAR Xfinity Managing Director Eric Peterson defended the $25,000 fine, mentioning the carelessness of the maneuver. While Earnhardt Jr. backs his driver, Griffin's reaction adds to the ongoing debate on social media.