Ross Chastain's boss Justin Marks makes opinion clear on Martinsville's controversial ending amid Trackhouse's alleged involvement
Owner of Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks. recently spoke about Sunday's Martinsville playoff controversy involving Ross Chastain.
In the final lap at the final playoff race, William Bryon and Christopher Bell were competing for the last spot in the Championship 4. During this intense competition, Chastain and Austin Dillon appeared to have attempted to block other drivers behind the No. 24 Chevy, potentially aiding Byron, who eventually advanced to the championship race.
In a conversation on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Marks hinted that the situation was just part of intense racing and that there was no plan or strategy to assist Byron.
“You know, we're trying to be respectful of those around us. And ended up just sort of stuck side by side there. And end of the race game...I will tell you that there's no plan to orchestrate anything like that,” Marks stated.
He pointed out that coordinating such an act would be difficult to hide given the open radio communication during races.
"It would be too hard to do something like that, because it's so circumstantial with who's around you, the cars behind you, everything like that. And, you know, basically all the communication, I think everybody's heard, everybody's listen to the radio communication between spotters and drivers and everything like that," he added.
However, the videos and radio messages suggested that Dillon and Chastain might have worked together during the race.
Another controversy during the final laps arose when Bell used the banned 'Hail Melon' wall-riding move. He got a penalty from NASCAR, which dropped him to 22nd.
Bryon, who was tied in points with Bell before the penalty, earned a sixth-place finish and advanced to the Championship 4 by just one point.
"My move was completely different" - Christopher Bell on attempting Ross Chastain's 2022 'Hail Melon'
Christopher Bell's wall ride at the Xfinity 500 resembled Ross Chastain’s famous “Hail Melon” move in 2022. Back then, Chastain had floored his car into the wall to pass Denny Hamlin and make it to the Championship 4. NASCAR later banned the move, citing safety risks.
However, Bell claimed that the wall ride move was unintentional and his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota just slid into the wall. He also bumped into teammate Bubba Wallace in the process.
"I understand that the rule was made so you prevent people from riding the wall. But my move was completely different than what Ross’s was. I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence," Bell said.
NASCAR's Senior Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer said they would review all these details to decide if any actions are required.