Questions circulate after the NASCAR race at Indianapolis
Uncertainty on exactly what happened in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course continue to surface, days after the race.
In NASCAR Overtime, Hamlin and Briscoe raced into turn one. Hamlin, on the inside lane, ran wide and forced Chase Briscoe off the track and into the grass.
Briscoe kept his foot in it and drove through the grass. He skipped turn two entirely and returned to the racing surface in turn three, with the race lead.
Briscoe slowed to let Hamlin pull back ahead. If you go below the yellow line at Daytona or Talladega and pass a car, typically there’s no penalty if you give the position back, fast. Briscoe must have thought it would be a similar thing in this case.
But, it wasn’t. Within seconds, NASCAR issued a penalty to the #14 team. Briscoe was suppose to come to a stop in turn 10. However, there’s debate on when that information was given to the driver of the #14.
Because by the time they got to turn ten, Briscoe didn’t come to a stop. Instead, he pushed on the bumper of Hamlin and spun him out.
Both drivers entered the race without a win in 2021. Now, they both left the track without a win as well. Hamlin was able to clinch a playoff spot. However, he lost the regular season point-lead, for the first time in several quarters.
Hamlin and Briscoe banter (Mid-Week)
NASCAR on FOX released their weekly video clip highlighting team communications. The video caused a new comment from Hamlin and a response from Briscoe.
Hamlin tweeted Tuesday in response the team audio video, “Soooo the 14 didn’t know but yet acknowledged it on the radio? Ok, gotcha, noted.”
Briscoe responded, “That was my crew chiefs voice, anyone that listens to us weekly knows that’s not my voice plus I never use the word “copy” I always say 10-4. Feel free to call or text me if you don’t wanna go back and forth on here.”
Related: NASCAR curb breaks at Indianapolis; Multiple cars crash (Video)
NASCAR at Indianapolis
(Team Audio)
Hamlin Spotter (Michael Engstrom): “Clear of the #16. Watch the #14.”
NASCAR (Tim Barmann): “#14 owes a stop and go (penalty). Short cutting the course.”
Briscoe Spotter (Joe White): “He pushed us off the race track! They say we owe them a stop and go in turn ten.”
In the NASCAR on Fox Radioactive video, Briscoe was then labeled as asking, “Copy. Where’s turn ten?”
**However, Briscoe has since tweeted that it wasn’t him who asked that line above. The driver says it was an incorrect label in the video, it was actually his spotter.**
Hamlin Spotter (Chris Lambert): “#14 has a stop and go. Don’t worry about him.”
Hamlin Spotter (Lambert): “Pushing you. He’s wrecking us.”
Hamlin Spotter (Lambert): “The #14 was clearly under penalty for cutting the course and then he wrecked you.”
NASCAR (Tim Bermann): “Post the #14. Owes a pass-through at this time.”
Briscoe Spotter (Joe White): “Now they want us to do a pass through.”
NASCAR on Fox has since removed the video. However, a separate clip of their crew discussing the audio has been left up. That video also features an incorrect label.
Related: NASCAR investigating Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin incident (Video)
Related: Indianapolis Race Results from August 15, 2021 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Chase Briscoe vs Denny Hamlin
Video
Links
Chase Briscoe | Denny Hamlin | Tony Stewart | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | NASCAR
