Last week at the Phoenix Raceway, there was an incident of the track between two drivers - Austin Dillon and Cole Custer. After the incident where they took shots at each other on the track, they made up and shook hands and no one was punished by Nascar. That rubbed Danica Patrick the wrong way and the driver asked for her money back for a fine from last year.
The Austin Dillon incident in Phoenix
The incident that has Danica Patrick annoyed with NASCAR happened last week when Cole Custer, 19, accidentally hit Dillon during the race. The hit caused Austin Dillon to spin but he remained in the race.
However, Dillon roared back into the race and then retaliated by forcing Custer into a wall. The two drivers met at Auto Club Speedway this week and Custer admitted the mistake on his part. For their part, NASCAR believed that the retaliation didn't even warrant a penalty so they called the two drivers together to shake hands and make up instead. They did so, said there were no hard feelings, and neither driver ended up out any money for the incident at the Phoenix Raceway. That fact alone made Danica Patrick tell NASCAR to give her the money she paid last year for a fine back to her.
Danica Patrick's statement to NASCAR
It seems the lack of a fine for Austin Dillon has Danica Patrick annoyed with NASCAR for a lack of consistency on their punishments.
She said that last year during the Sprint Cup Series, she was fined $20,000 after Kasey Kahne hit her and she walked towards the racing surface to him a gesture as retaliation. This isn't the only punishment that NASCAR gave Patrick, also placing her on probation. It seems interesting that she received such a harsh penalty and Austin Dillon was just ordered to shake hands with the person whose car he hit in retaliation.
Danica said that she believes that NASCAR fines drivers for stupid things that actually make good television while ignoring more dangerous things. She also questioned where the money was going for the fines. NASCAR gives the money to the NASCAR Foundation and their initiatives but Danica Patrick said she would like to see what it actually does in the world, whether it is building playgrounds or feeding the homeless.
