How does NASCAR view drivers entering the grandstands?

Clint Bowyer grabbed the champagne bottle and ventured into the grandstands to celebrate with the people

Bowyer snapped a 190-race winless streak. He was the first driver to cross the line at the paperclip of Martinsville Speedway on a rare weather-delayed Monday showing of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Following the win, Clint Bowyer climbed from his Stewart-Haas Racing machine to cheers from the short track crowd. He then grabbed the champagne and ventured to the grandstands at Martinsville Speedway where he celebrated with the race fans. From a fans perspective, that’s awesome.

But, is it viewed differently by the sanction?

“In a word, I think it’s awesome,” NASCAR EVP Steve O’Donnell stated on ‘The Morning Drive’ via Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

“Clint Bowyer showed exactly why he’s popular. The fans look at Clint and say, ‘He’s one of us.’ He came from the short tracks, he worked his way up.”

“He endured a lot. He’s been through a lot. When it took that long to get back to victory lane, certainly he wanted to celebrate with his team. But, then one of his first thoughts is, ‘Hey, I want to be amongst the people.’ ”

“That’s what makes him a special driver and that’s what makes him part of NASCAR. We love seeing that.”

“I saw some typical short track racing with a lot of beatin’ and banging. You never really saw a driver get out too far while leading that race.”

“It was great to see Clint Bowyer back in victory lane. He’s a guy who’s really popular with our fans. He’s a great guy to work with, he’s emotional.”