Kyle Busch’s Teammate Under Fire as Fans Question Legacy Leading to Nepotism Claims: ”Cheat and Still Be in the Back”
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HAMPTON, GA – MARCH 18: Kyle Busch 8 Richard Childress Racing Lenovo Chevrolet looks on during qualifications for the Ambetter Health 400 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series race on March 18, 2023 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAR 18 NASCAR CUP SERIES AMBETTER HEALTH 400 Icon953230318515
The NASCAR community, still reeling under the penalty spree that the sanctioning body is on this season, has been hit by yet another penalty imposition. Although, this time, the burden of fines and points deduction falls on Richard Childress Racing driver and crew chief.
Kyle Busch’s teammate Austin Dillon and his crew chief Keith Rodden have been slapped with a massive fine by NASCAR. As part of the penalty, Keith Rodden, the crew chief for the #3 car, faces a $75,000 fine and a suspension from two points races. Additionally, both the team and the driver will be penalized with a deduction of 60 points and 5 playoff points.
The announcement of the penalty and a subsequent tweet mocking Busch‘s teammate led to a furor among fans. Some fans even accused the RCR driver of nepotism. According to a tweet from NASCAR, the #3 car was issued an L1 penalty. This was following last weekend’s race at the Martinsville Speedway, in which Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon finished 21st and 12th, respectively.
NEWS: The No. 3 car has been issued an L1-level penalty following @MartinsvilleSwy.
Crew chief Keith Rodden has been fined $75,000 and suspended from the next two points events.
The team and driver have been assessed with the loss of 60 points and 5 NASCAR Playoff points. pic.twitter.com/slhZTq7a3w
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 19, 2023
Fans mock the teammate of Kyle Busch and claim nepotism
Soon after the tweet from NASCAR regarding the penalty was posted, one Twitter user mockingly asked others how would this affect Dillon’s legacy. They also posted a picture of the driver’s TV show, Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane, which aired last year on USA Network. However, the use of the word “legacy” made the fans angry, who were quick to question whether the #3 Chevrolet Camaro driver had a legacy to begin with. Meanwhile, others pointed out the apparent nepotism, as Richard Childress is his grandfather.
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More like pic.twitter.com/pcOMVmWh59
— Ephraim Vorzman ASTROS 2X, MAX 2X (@Saints_Jimmy) April 19, 2023
He has a legacy other than being Pop Pop’s favorite grand baby?
— Burt Cavanaugh (@CavanaughBurt) April 19, 2023
Can't affect a legacy u don't have.
— s0undwavekiller 🙂 (@s0undwavekiller) April 19, 2023
what legacy? i didn't know that being washed meant you had one.
— TailsJSECodyCobiJDFlintDLand91RobbyNoonanfan93 (@TailsNASCARFan9) April 19, 2023
A few of the fans expressed their anger by mentioning that despite cheating, Dillon is still placed at the latter half of the pack.
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How you gonna cheat and still be in the back?
— Road Runner (@outlaw_fan) April 19, 2023
Although Dillon was seated in the 21st position on the points table, the penalty will still hurt Dillon this season. With this penalty in place, he will drop down to 29th place. However, it does not seem to be making much of a difference, compared to if he were in the top 10 or something.
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Kyle Busch recently refrained from appealing the penalty imposed on Kyle Busch Motorsports. However, it remains to be seen if the #3 RCR team would take the same route. Moreover, there would also be questions about how would NASCAR deal with the appeal if it goes through. Will this be a repeat of the Hendrick Motorsports/Kaulig Racing saga? Or does NASCAR have something else up its sleeve? Stay tuned to find out as the matter develops further.
Written by:
Edited by:
Nischal Kandpal
