NASCAR team chief demands heavier punishment after rival given huge penalty

A NASCAR team chief has called for heavier punishments to be introduced after Austin Hill's intentional wreck on Aric Almirola.

Hill and Almirola were involved in a late battle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last weekend when the latter caused the former to get loose in turn three. Once Hill had his car back under control, he slammed into the side of Almirola, causing his rival to wreck and sustain heavy damage.

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NASCAR initially held Hill for five laps due to reckless driving, but the series later felt a more severe punishment was necessary, with Hill receiving a one-race suspension for this weekend's race at Iowa.

Missing this weekend's race will mean Hill requires a waiver to retain his eligibility for the Xfinity Series playoffs, and he will also forfeit all of his playoff points - whether earned before Indianapolis or from here on out - before the postseason begins.

However, Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice does not believe that this goes far enough.

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NASCAR chief calls for stricter punishment after race bans

Speaking to SiriusXM ahead of this weekend's action at Iowa, Rice made his feelings on the matter very clear.

The Kaulig Racing chief believes that if a driver receives a one-race suspension, they should also have to win another race in order to be eligible for the playoffs.

“I think in this situation, the driver should lose all his points and the team should keep their points because you, in Xfinity, you’re racing for owner points and driver points," Rice explained.

“It’s a little different than Cup, I don’t want to muddy up the water for all the listeners, but it’s a little different. But I think a driver should have to come back and win again.

“Because at some point, we got to explain to these race car drivers that these guys spend a lot of money for them to race cars. They go out and get a lot of sponsors for these guys to race cars.”

Rice later added: “I look at it from Richard’s [Childress] side, I’m standing in Richard’s shoes.

“He talked about a blue collar team, and I love Richard, he is one of my best friends, I’m on Richard’s side, like it shouldn’t be against him.”

“But at the end of the day, he is a Richard Childress driver, as my drivers are my drivers, and we have to handle it internally and it’s just bad, right?

“Like you try to figure out a way that he didn’t do it. You try to figure out something that he didn’t do.

“But maybe the driver shouldn’t get a chance. Maybe you should have to come back and win, you know?”

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