Clint Bowyer has been accused of spinning on purpose during last weekend’s race at Richmond to help team mate Martin Truex Jnr in the championship. Both driver for Michael Waltrip Racing.
Saturday’s race was the last round before NASCAR’s ten-race Chase for the Cup begins. Under NASCAR’s points system, only the top ten drivers at this point may continue to compete for the title, plus the two drivers in positions 11 to 20 who have the most wins.
Bowyer is accused of deliberately spinning to cause a caution period to compromise Ryan Newman’s chances of winning the race. Had he won, Newman would have beaten Truex to the final Chase position by dint of having two wins to to one.
But during the caution Newman lost the lead, finishing third. That meant Truex claimed the Chase position as both drivers have a win apiece, but Truex’s next best result is second to Newman’s third.
In-car radio from the race shows Bowyer was told Newman (in car number 39) was leading, then given a seemingly cryptic message about his arm, shortly before spinning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZy4pIE9zpQ
Did Bowyer do for Truex Jnr what Piquet Jnr did for Alonso at Singapore in 2008? And what should NASCAR’s response be?