NASCAR suspends Xfinity Series driver who parked his car on the track in protest
Josh Williams will miss Saturday's race at COTA after he expressed his displeasure with a decision by NASCAR officials
The NASCAR driver who parked his car on the track in protest and then walked back to the pits has been suspended for a race.
Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams will miss Saturday’s race at Circuit of the Americas after NASCAR’s decision to suspend him Tuesday. Williams was upset with NASCAR race control’s decision to make him park his car after he caused a caution because of debris that came off it. Williams had been involved in a wreck earlier in the race, and his team had been working to keep the car in condition to continue running.
After he was incredulous at NASCAR’s mandate that he stop racing, Williams parked his car at the start/finish line during the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race was under caution at the time, and Williams waved to the crowd after he got out of his car. He was immediately summoned to the NASCAR hauler to talk with officials.
NASCAR said in its announcement that Williams was suspended for a race because of multiple rules violations. According to one of the rules cited, “A Member’s actions can reflect upon the sport as a whole and on other NASCAR Members. Ideally, NASCAR Members are role models for the many fans who follow this sport, regardless of the type of license a Member may hold, or the specific Series in which a Member may participate. Therefore, NASCAR views a Member’s conduct, both on and off the racetrack, which might constitute a behavioral Rules violation under this Rule Book, with great importance.”
NASCAR also cited a rule that Williams compromised the safety of the event and committed an action that NASCAR found to be “detrimental to stock car racing or NASCAR.”
Williams released a statement after the penalty thanking his sponsors for standing by him and his fans for supporting him. He said he stood behind NASCAR’s decision.
Williams, 29, is in his eighth season in NASCAR’s second-tier series and made three starts in the Cup Series in 2022. He has eight top-10s in those 159 Xfinity Series starts, with a best finish of sixth at Kansas in fall 2020.
