CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cup Series driver Austin Cindric will not be penalized for a crash involving Austin Dillon during Sunday's race at WWT Raceway, NASCAR officials said Tuesday.
Cindric made contact with Dillon's No. 3 Chevrolet entering Turn 1 while they were battling for position just outside the top 10. The contact sent Dillon's car sliding into Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Chevrolet, ending both of their days with just a few laps go to. Cindric went on to finish 13th, with Dillon and Stenhouse finishing 31st and 32nd, respectively.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR's vice president of competition, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that Cindric won't be punished for the incident despite claims from Dillon and team owner Richard Childress that the crash was payback, similar to the move that landed Chase Elliott a one-race suspension.
"We didn't see anything that really would rise to a level that would be a suspension or a penalty," Sawyer said. "It looked like hard racing. One car coming up a little bit and another car going down."
Cindric addressed the incident on Twitter after NASCAR's decision, saying the contact was not intentional and that he hopes to hash things out with Dillon. Sawyer said NASCAR plans to meet with both drivers before this weekend's event at Sonoma Raceway.
"I do not enjoy having my character in question when it is not justified," Cindric wrote. "We are expected to race hard and I will not apologize for doing so, but I will be the first person to raise my hand and listen when I've done something wrong."
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