In an unexpected turn of events, the sanctioning body of NASCAR shocked the community again when it slammed a hefty fine on one of its drivers following last week’s race at the Circuit of The Americas.

The organization has issued $50,000 fine to Daniel Suarez after he bumped into his teammate Ross Chastain and Alex Bowman on the pit road as an act of retaliation for an earlier incident. Suarez was already facing the heat from fans regarding his highly irresponsible behavior, with even Dale Earnhardt Jr and Denny Hamlin commenting on the incident in strict terms. Going along with fans’ sentiment for once, NASCAR imposed the fine on Suarez.

After the decision was announced, Suarez spoke with the media and gave his version of the event.

Is NASCAR justified in penalizing Daniel Suarez? The driver opens up

Speaking in an exclusive with Frontstretch, Suarez spoke his mind on the matter and clarified his stance. The reporter asked the #99 Chevy driver about his reaction to the fine. An optimistic Suarez showed real character in his response and replied, “It’s I think it’s what it is.” 

He then mentioned how the issue is not limited to one or two irresponsible drivers, how it is frustrating to see such “bump-and-run” scenarios, and how such “dumb driving” has affected his possibility of finishing in the top 5 twice. The 31-year-old further clarified his take as the reporter asked if the driver expected the organization’s decision saying, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

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He went on to explain the scenario, saying, “I saw we’re running below 20 miles per hour. I mean it was very very slow. And also the #48 car—he was brake checking me, so you know we’re not going quick. There was one official there and that was wrong, but this is what it is you know.

“NASCAR wants to send a message and it’s okay, I’m okay with it.

“It’s not right what I did, but I don’t think that nothing else was gonna happen, I wasn’t gonna kill somebody like a lot of [people are saying].”

Suarez even said that he will join the frenzy if this pattern continues and is hopeful the organization takes control of the situation and find a way around it.

What happened in COTA between the teammates that led to the penalty?

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It seems like the much-awaited race in COTA certainly lived up to the hype. However, following the intense action on the track, many were of the opinion that the race was a bit too rough and unprofessional.

Coming to the incident that caused all smoke, Daniel Suarez was well in the driver’s seat chasing down the top position when met with an accident involving Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, and Chase Briscoe leaving the Mexican stranded and eventually dropping to a 27th-place finish.

Suarez did not hesitate from venting out his frustration after the race as he sped past several drivers in a bid to catch Bowman. He then bumped violently into his Trackhouse Racing teammate at the entrance of the pit road and finally bumped Bowman’s #48 Chevy multiple times on the pit lane.

While NASCAR emphasizes the safety of drivers and crew members in the pit lane, Daniel Suarez is fortunate to receive just the monetary fine. In a similar scenario, Ty Gibbs was fined $75,000 and had 25 race points docked for an incident in the pit road last year.

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