NASCAR legend Mark Martin was among the race fans befuddled with the controversy after the Martinsville race on Sunday that saw William Byron make the Championship Four field.
Byron was awarded the final spot in the field to vie for the NASCAR Championship after officials determined Christopher Bell rode the wall on the racetrack to maintain his position and ultimately clinch the spot.
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NASCA Busch Series driver Mark Martin during qualifying for the Orbitz 300 at Daytona International Speedway in Florida, Feb. 16, 2007. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports )
NASCAR drivers were barred from riding the wall following Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon” moment that catapulted him into the Championship Four in 2022.
“We have a s— show here,” Martin wrote on X.
The Arkansas native was a longtime NASCAR star, who won 40 times in the Cup Series. He finished second in the NASCAR standings five times and was never able to win the title. Regardless, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017.
Ryan Blaney won the Xfinity 500 to clinch a spot in the championship field with Tyler Reddick and Joey Logano. There was no controversy about that result.
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Ryan Blaney celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Bell argued that he didn’t have a choice but to hit the wall and continue driving after he got loose in the final corner trying to pass Bubba Wallace.
Wallace claimed he had a tire going down at the exact moment.
“I understand that the rule is made to prevent people from riding the wall, but my move was completely different from what Ross did,” Bell said.
“I slid into the wall and kept my foot into it. I guess that is a losing move. I didn’t intentionally floor it and go into the fence – I slipped into the wall and that’s all she wrote.”
Byron said the rules are the rules.
“He rode the wall and there’s a clear rule against riding the wall. So in my eyes, that’s what counts. If it happened in the past, it was fair game. But now the rule is against it,” he said.
William Byron after his run during cup qualifying at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, Nov. 2, 2024. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)
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The championship race takes place next weekend in Phoenix.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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