Insiders debate when NASCAR officials should blame tough racing

As NASCAR puts the 2024 season behind it and prepares for 2025, should officials emphasize more rough racing? To The teardown Podcast, NASCAR Insiders Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck from The athlete discusses whether NASCAR needs more officiating.

“I want less officiating, not more,” Bianchi said. “I want NASCAR to make fewer decisions that are gray and not black and white because I don’t want those in charge dictating things. I want NASCAR to be kind of a turbulent thing with short track rules. That’s the ethos of NASCAR. Back to his foreign foundation: The boys eliminated each other in the last round and won. It happens. That’s what NASCAR is all about.

“What I’m worried about and what I haven’t seen yet is that NASCAR is going to use good judgment here. I don’t think they’re going to start giving penalties for mistakes on the last lap if someone does something like bump someone and secure someone a win. … I’m just worried that we’re now asking NASCAR to direct more and decide things before it looks like it’s part of NASCAR. That’s what makes NASCAR unique and different.”

More on the NASCAR officials debate

Gluck has a slightly different opinion about the office. “I don’t want anyone to think I’m advocating for no contact, I’m not advocating for FI or Indy Car standards for unavoidable types of contact. I want there to be contact. NASCAR is a physical form of racing,” Gluck said.

“Bump-and-runs are fantastic. There are very few cases that I could point to and say that’s where I would draw the line. But it is the other thing Ty Gibbs–Brandon Jones Martinsville Xfinity races. Here too I would have said: “I’m sorry, no.” You can’t win the race like that, we won’t have that. It’s not two cars, it’s one car. But if I saw that in a race, I would say, OK, NASCAR, you have to intervene.”

The officiating was a big story last NASCAR season. Former NASCAR driver and current Fox Sports announcer Kevin Harvick said official actions are “terrible in certain situations” and “need to be better.” We’ll see if anything changes when the 2025 season begins in February.