NASCAR

A NASCAR official announced Tuesday that the organization plans to revisit a rule this offseason that has recently sidelined two drivers following accidents, despite their efforts to return to the track for repairs. Josh Berry was forced out of the Kansas Speedway race after a Lap 1 collision, as NASCAR ruled he couldn’t return to pit road for service. BitcoinBreakthrough Brad Moran, NASCAR Cup Series managing director, addressed the incident on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, admitting, “It didn’t feel right or look right, but the rule was applied correctly. It’s something we’ll review during the winter, and it may change.” Berry's accident involved several other drivers, including Ty Dillon, Jimmie Johnson, Harrison Burton, and Chase Elliott. The contact between the vehicles caused Burton to spin into Berry’s car, with a hit to the right rear lifting Berry’s vehicle momentarily off the ground. As the car skidded to a stop on the backstretch with four flat tires, Berry requested a tow to the pits to replace the tires and continue the race, but NASCAR ruled him out. Reflecting on the experience, Berry stated, “That was something else.We were hit and spun around, resulting in four flat tires.. I assumed they’d tow me to the pits, whichI requested assistance, but instead, they lowered my window net and instructed me to exit. My crew chief, Rodney Childers, said all we needed was tires, but they insisted I leave the car. Next thing I knew, they towed me into the campground, and I was just hanging out with the fans before they finally told me to get out for good.” Moran later elaborated on “The Morning Drive” why Berry was eliminated rather than allowed to return to the pits. The force raised Berry’s car into the air before crashing it back down. According to the Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP), if you can’t drive your car back to pit road after such an incident, you’re done for the day. Berry’s crash set off the incident data recorder, signifying a significant event, and because he couldn’t drive back, he was disqualified.” Moran further explained that had Berry only spun out with flat tires, he would have been towed under the flat tire recovery program. However, the severity of the crash meant the DVP took precedence, and the rules were followed accordingly. Despite the damage being minimal, NASCAR did not inspect the car on the track as they lacked that capacity. "We generally choose not to remove a car from the race if it can still participate," Moran remarked, "but the rules are clear." The incident resembled what Ryan Blaney went through at Watkins Glen.. Blaney also crashed on the first lap and couldn’t drive his car back to pit road. Though he sought a tow to assess the damage, NASCAR, following the same directive, ruled him out due to his inability to return under his own power. Since August, teams have had the option to install a system that allows officials to inflate the tires at the crash site, enabling the car to drive back when all four tires are flat. Berry’s car at Kansas did not have this system installed. Moran also mentioned that the rule, in place since 2017 and developed with input from teams, was reviewed last offseason. He added that this year, NASCAR intends to scrutinize it more thoroughly. “We’ve got some examples we don’t like, and we’re going to dig deep with the industry to see if there’s a fair and balanced modification we can implement that won’t disrupt race flow or add unnecessary caution laps. There’s a lot to discuss.” New Football Accumulator System