NASCAR Gives More Severe Penalty to Cole Custer Compared to William Byron Who Wrecked Denny Hamlin Under Caution

NASCAR has a major problem on its hands and it stems from their own actions and seemingly lack of consistency when it comes to doling out punishments for its competitors.

Cole Custer via NASCAR YouTube

The latest example is the penalty for the driver of the No. 41 Cole Custer after he appeared to block Austin Dillon and Erik Jones on the final lap of the race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in order to secure his teammate, Chase Briscoe, a position in the Round of 8.

Heading down the back stretch and going into the chicane, Custer appeared to slow down and brake early holding up both Dillon and Jones as Briscoe darted by all of them on the inside and on to a 9th place finish. Meanwhile Custer would end up finishing 24th.

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Following the race, NASCAR announced they would be reviewing Custer’s actions, but their review would have no impact on the competitors who made it into the Round of 8.

A statement noted, “NASCAR is reviewing data, video and radio transmissions from the 41 car following its incident on the backstretch during the final lap.”

“NASCAR will communicate the results of the review early this week. Any potential penalties would not affect the Round of 8 field,” it concluded.

Erik Jones, Cole Custer, Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Briscoe via NASCAR YouTube

NASCAR has found that Custer was guilty with NASCAR.com reporting he and his “team was penalized under Section 5.5 of the NASCAR Rule Book, which requires competitors to race at 100% of their ability and takes action against competitors who intend to ‘artificially alter’ the race’s finishing positions.”

NASCAR fined both Custer and his crew chief Michael Shiplett $100,000 and Shiplett was suspended indefinitely. They also issued a 50-point penalty to Custer and his team in both the Driver and Owner standings.

What might surprise some is that despite fining Custer and his crew chief NASCAR.com notes “Briscoe had qualified for the playoffs’ Round of 8 without the benefit of Custer’s block.” So how did they rule he was artificially altering the race when they determined his block didn’t even aid his teammate in qualifying for the Round of 8?

Cole Custer, Austin Dillon, and Chase Briscoe via NASCAR YouTube

Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior VP of Competition, explained the penalty despite Custer’s block seemingly not actually affecting the finishing positions according to NASCAR, “When we got to the audio, and had the crew chief telling the driver that, ‘I think you got a flat (tire). Check up, check up, check up,’ when he couldn’t even see the car or have any idea whatsoever that the car might have a flat, obviously pretty telling as to what went on there.”

He added, “That coupled with the data and the video and all the rest of the things that we looked into, well, that was

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