NASCAR penalizes Sammy Smith for actions on last lap of Martinsville Xfinity race
NASCAR has penalized Sammy Smith 50 points and fined him $25,000 for wrecking Taylor Gray from the lead on the final lap of last weekend's Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
The penalty drops Smith from sixth in the points to 13th in the points heading into Saturday's race at Darlington Raceway.
AUTO: MAR 30 NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400
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Christopher Bell won two of the five Cup races in March and finished second in another race.
Smith turned Gray's car entering Turn 3 last weekend at Martinsville and triggered a multi-car crash as the field came to the finish line.
'I thought he would have done the same to me,' Smith said after the race. 'He moved me if I was in the lead. That's what you have to do. If you don't do that, you're going to be the one getting run over.
'I know that everyone is going to mad and upset at me and say I'm a dirty driver, but I don't care because everybody does it. If I was just going to accept it and finish second today, then that just wasn't going to set well with me.'
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Competitors express displeasure in the racing at end of Martinsville Xfinity event
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Multiple incidents late and a multi-car crash on the last lap triggered strong emotions.
Smith's actions sparked anger from competitors about what he did and the state of racing in the Xfinity Series.
Cup driver Denny Hamlin criticized the racing and called for NASCAR to step in during the race. Hamlin wrote on social media that 'Martinsville is a track that could use a (sic) 'avoidable contact' penalty. He also wrote on social media: 'God I wish I were in the (TV) booth. Id (sic) get fired but I damn sure would call these idiots out.'
Xfinity winner Austin Hill said after the race: 'I think at the end of the day when it's a green-white-checkered at a Martinsville race, the respect and stuff is out the window and I hate to say that. I really do. I'm probably not the best one to speak on it, but I wish there was a way we could settle it down a little more to where it wasn't so just beating and banging and knocking each other's doors off and running through people. I wish we could race a different way at Martinsville than what we do.'
Said Joey Logano on Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio about Smith's actions on the final lap: 'Going from two car lengths back and straight up dumping someone. Not acceptable. That's not aggressive driving. That's demolition derby. That's unprofessional.'
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