Intentionally hooking another driver in the right rear quarter panel is a big no-no in NASCAR. Ty Dillon’s day at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) took a turn for the worse early on when he tangled with Ford’s Austin Cindric. After door-to-door contact between the Chevy and Ford drivers, Cindric didn’t let it slide, dishing out retaliation in the opening laps.
It was only Lap 4 when Dillon’s Chevy and Cindric’s Ford rubbed doors. Diving into Turn 20 – and racing for position outside the top 25 – Dillon’s No. 10 Chevy forced Cindric’s No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse off the track, pushing him wide through the corner. Cindric wrangled his car and righted it, diving back into traffic, but not before he showed his displeasure.
Cindric tagged Dillon’s right rear quarter panel, sending the No. 10 Chevy for a spin. Dillon went sideways in front of traffic, collecting a competitor before coming to rest off the course. Cindric continued on with minor damage; Dillon was able to regroup and continue racing as well, but neither driver had much to show for it when the checkers dropped. Cindric finished 25th while Dillon crossed the line 28th.
“Yeah, unfortunately that happened early on in the race, so there was not a caution at that point for it,” said Brad Moran, Managing Director of the NASCAR Cup Series on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “But, we are going to go back, and that’s on our list today, so we’ll have a look at that and see if there was something there that we do not like, and if there is we’ll have to deal with it.”
We are four laps in and payback has already happened. Things are wild in Texas today. 👀 pic.twitter.com/MxqWlpbsHU
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 2, 2025
At the time of this writing, no penalties have been handed out. However, it’s worth noting that Chase Elliott was suspended for a single race in 2023 after intentionally putting Denny Hamlin in the wall during the Coca-Cola 600 that year, so a similar punishment isn’t out of the question for Cindric.
Comments
Interesting. Will the Ford get a free pass? We’ll see.
Think they need to enforce staying off the rumble-strips in the corners.
They were well into the “run-off” areas.
I don’t like to see retaliation on the track as a decent percentage of the time someone not involved in the tit-for-tat gets collected in the mayhem. I think they should go back to the time-honored solution of going down to the offender’s pit after the race and give him a shot in the nuts.
As they say down there in NASCAR land if you don’t change yer earl, you’ll get yer motor blowed.
Generally speaking I have lost a lot of respect for NASCAR drivers. Thus, I don’t watch the races on TV and I sure won’t spend $120 for one ticket to a race. Too many whiners and I could win a race since it’s ok to wreck the guy in front of you in order to pass him.Â
But when Dale Eanhardt did it it was ok?
HE HOOKED OLE DW ONCE AND GOT FINED, NEVER HOOKED AGAIN…..
Hey bookie, you know nothing about racing, crybaby! So get back in your rice burner 🚗 and move out of the way!
Oops let me clear out of the slow lane for ya there gramps
No snowflakes allowed. Let the boys have fun .
And boys they are! Cannot even race in the rain.
Why is this even news? Happens every race.
Wait!!! Do fans still pack the stands at NASCAR races?
Absolutely they do lol (except for the really boring races like road courses and certain cookie cutter tracks)
NASCAR lost me with stage racing.