NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection driver Conner Jones has been suspended for one race after deliberately crashing driver Matt Mills in Saturday’s race on the Homestead-Miami Speedway, NASCAR introduced on Wednesday.
The transfer comes three days after Jones turned Mills’ No. 42 in turns three and 4 on the 1.5-mile oval, sending Mills’ truck laborious into the skin wall. Mills was admitted to an area hospital following the incident.
NASCAR’s determination to droop Jones comes at a time when driver etiquette — particularly in NASCAR’s decrease ranks — seems to be at an all-time low. Incidents like Jones’ have spiked in recent times, and whereas NASCAR has taken a agency stance as instances have modified, driver etiquette doesn’t appear to be enhancing.
The difficulty isn’t restricted to the Truck Collection, both. Austin Dillon deliberately wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in August to win at Richmond. Dillon gained the race, and whereas his playoff berth was revoked, NASCAR clarified that long-term, everlasting ramifications for committing such acts weren’t within the playing cards. In 2022, Bubba Wallace deliberately wrecked Kyle Larson in Las Vegas. In 2023, Chase Elliott deliberately wrecked Hamlin on the Coca-Cola 600. The penalty for each drivers? A one-race suspension.
Jones has a historical past of irritating his rivals all through the 2024 season, and his mood boiled over, inflicting him to commit an act that no skilled driver ought to ever take into account.
NASCAR did the suitable factor by penalizing Jones, but when it actually needs to ship a message, it should penalize incidents like this with extra severity. Whether or not or not it’s enormous fines, crippling factors penalties, or a multi-race suspension, NASCAR should make it clear that utilizing a car as a weapon has no place in knowledgeable racing league.
