It was an unforgettable finish by all means. Ross Chastain, on the last lap at Charlotte, needed a single point to maintain his playoff qualification. He attempted a Hail Mary move that nearly resulted in a collision with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin’s Toyota Camry XSE. Chastain, however, didn’t make it to the Round of 8, unlike Hamlin. But after voicing concerns about the “radio silence” from his team, Hamlin has now called on NASCAR to take action against Chastain.

After the race, Hamlin voiced that his team had not given any information on Chastain’s position. “We just didn’t say much all day. I run, and I run, and I run. I’m like, I’m not catching anyone. Suddenly, the 1 (Ross Chastain), you can see he’s slow. He’s fighting his car and whatnot. At that point, again, I have no idea. Never did I get any update on what position we’re in, never did I get an update on the points, anything,” said Hamlin recently about the incident. Now, after calling out his team, Hamlin has appealed to NASCAR to take action against Chastain.

Hamlin appeared on his podcast ‘Actions Detrimental’ with co-host Jared Allen and opened up about how he felt “vulnerable” in the last lap and called for penalties. “Do you think, had that move worked, that they probably would have been penalized by NASCAR?” asked Allen. Denny Hamlin, without any hesitation, replied in affirmation that the incident should be constituted as “intentional wreck.”

“I would hope so. If not, then what? I mean, yeah, I think they should set a precedent on that. It would be interesting, and I would appreciate NASCAR or someone sending me a text. They don’t have to say it publicly, but just let me know whether that will be allowed. Certainly, I don’t think you’re going to be allowed to just wipe someone out to move on. I mean, it’s an intentional wreck, isn’t it?” said Hamlin. Although Hamlin’s car didn’t spin too much out of control and he was safe with his lead. Still, upon video review, the maneuver would have come under scrutiny.

The NASCAR rule book currently has Section 10, which deals with violations and disciplinary actions and evaluates such behavior on a case-by-case basis upon video review. Still, NASCAR allows last-lap aggression, and many actions like the ‘bump-and-run’ are widely tolerated, with penalties coming only on major violations. Still, trying to spin or manipulate the outcome of the race or championship is strictly enforced.

“Attempting to manipulate the outcome of the Race or championship… Wrecking or spinning another vehicle… shall be subject to a penalty from NASCAR,” reads the NASCAR Rule Book. However, whether Chastain will be given a penalty or not is yet to be seen, but it has surely opened a debate.

Denny Hamlin backtracks after approving Ross Chastain’s last-lap move

The maneuver that Chastain pulled in the last moment, before the finish line, largely falls under NASCAR’s tolerance for heat-of-the-moment aggression. Even Ross Chastain announced after the race that it was a last-ditch Hail Mary attempt. “I had to try something crazy,” said Chastain, who had a one-point deficit. As for NASCAR, it reviewed the last finish and later decided to issue no penalties, classifying it as “admitted but not egregious.” Hamlin, too, had defended it post-race,” I don’t fault Ross at all… because of what was at stake.” But why demand a penalty then?

Hamlin’s appeal is not exactly for Chastain, but for the risks the moves carry, as they have been attempted earlier, too. “This is going to come up certainly in the lower series. We know at Martinsville this every year. Every single year. We saw it with Kevin Harvick when he wrecked Kyle Busch on the final corner of Martinsville. Surely, just for the sporting aspect, we’ve got to say that that’s not going to be allowed, intentional wrecking to advance. It’s no different than someone intentionally not passing someone,” said Hamlin.

What Hamlin is essentially demanding here is a rule change from NASCAR where incidents like Chastain’s are outright banned. Surely, with the current state of things, drivers would try to do such maneuvers when faced with a do-or-die battle. But with a rule change, more drivers would be discouraged from attempting them, making tracks relatively safer, at least on turns. However, how that would fit into NASCAR’s playoff system that encourages desperate racing is a puzzle.