By JENNA FRYER

AVONDALE, Arizona – NASCAR President Steve Phelps defended the four drivers competing for the Cup championship this weekend, despite others having better statistics than the finalists, as well as the playoff system itself in the annual state of sports address.

Reigning champion Ryan Blaney, Penske teammate Joey Logano, Daytona 500 winner William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports and regular season champion Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing will compete for the title on November 10 in the finale winner-take-all at Phoenix Raceway.

Phelps admitted that NASCAR has heard reactions from fans that the most deserving drivers were eliminated from the decisive title race, including Kyle Larson, who led the Cup Series with six wins this season, and Christopher Bell, who stood out in the third round of the playoffs. but was disqualified for riding the wall last week at Martinsville Speedway in a move considered a safety violation.

That gave the final spot to Byron on points after Logano, Reddick and Blaney won races to earn automatic spots in the finals. Among those eliminated are Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin.

“There is a lot of talk about the four who will compete on Sunday. I heard some words like, ‘they don’t deserve it, you’ve got the wrong drivers, two, three, four drivers,’” Phelps said. “All our drivers knew the format. “These four drivers deserve to be here, period.”

Logano was eliminated from the playoffs after the second round, but was reinstated when Alex Bowman’s car failed post-race inspection following an elimination race. He will attempt to become the only three-time active champion in NASCAR’s premier series.

He will face Blaney, who with Logano will try to win a third consecutive Cup title for team owner Roger Penske and Ford. Reddick didn’t have the best playoffs, but he used a pass in the final turn at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win and put the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Hamlin into the championship for the first time in team history.

Byron earned the points once Bell’s move was deemed illegal.

Penalties galore

This week, NASCAR fined $600,000 and suspended nine team members from three organizations for race tampering last weekend at Martinsville Speedway, something chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell said the sanctioning body fully considered. out of place.

NASCAR penalized 23XI Racing for interfering with the Toyota Bell driver, while the Chevrolet Trackhouse Racing and Richard Childress Racing teams were penalized for assisting Byron.

“I would say before what we saw, one of the best runs we’ve seen in the playoffs, and it’s amazing that we’re sitting here talking about this,” O’Donnell said. “I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this, but I’ll say it anyway…. “What I saw in Martinsville made me angry and it made everyone in NASCAR angry because we all know what happens and we know what happens.”

NASCAR hesitated to suspend drivers Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon, but instead imposed heavy fines and set a drivers’ meeting for Nov. 9 to discuss the sanctions. NASCAR has already held a meeting with manufacturers to discuss the role they play in ordering their teams to help teams line up.

“We had a call with our OEMs where we made our intentions very clear going forward,” O’Donnell said. “It’s true, do we have a standard right now in which we can do something? We don’t. Will we have a period next year? 1,000%. “They are aware of it and they are aware that if something happens this weekend, it won’t happen, but we will react.”

O’Donnell also denied that NASCAR is inconsistent in its officiating and was adamant that the playoff system is not going away.

“Can you name a sport that doesn’t have questions about referees all year long?” asked. “The format is one thing, but in the playoffs we are not going to get out of the playoffs. We read fans and everything. We’ll definitely see what shape the playoffs take in the offseason. “You always learn, but the playoffs themselves can’t be argued with the quality of racing the playoffs have provided.”

Antitrust lawsuit

NASCAR declined to answer questions about the federal antitrust lawsuit filed against the series by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports on the same day a judge ruled against the teams in their attempt to obtain a court order to compete as sanctioned teams next season. .

Goodbye to the champions

Phelps took a moment to congratulate former Cup champion Martin Truex Jr., who will retire at the end of the season, and Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, who is selling his stake in Stewart-Haas Racing.

Truex won the 2017 championship driving for now-defunct Furniture Row Racing, while Stewart won two titles for Joe Gibbs Racing and one for SHR. He is now a full-time NHRA drag racer and is expecting his first baby with his wife, Leah Pruett.

“I wanted to make sure I said something about Martin Truex and his retirement from full-time racing. Martin has been a class act. He is a clean racing driver, never dirty. He has a great fan base and will be missed. “We are hopeful that he will come back and participate in one-off races or in other ways in this sport,” Phelps said.

“Then, in the same way, Tony Stewart sold his charters. Tony will then focus with Leah on their family and drag racing. So we wish Tony the best. “Tony is always welcome at our racetracks too.”

Originally Posted: November 9, 2024 at 3:14 pm EST