Why NASCAR is not penalizing Stenhouse, McDowell for post-race theatrics

The Sanctioning Body will meet with both drivers on Saturday morning at Phoenix

By Motorsport Staff · Yahoo Sports

Published: Wednesday, 14 October 2026 at 8:09 PM

Key Things to Know

NASCAR will not penalize Ricky Stenhouse Jr. or Michael McDowell for their post-race cooldown lap clash.
The on-track confrontation occurred at Charlotte Motor Speedway following the conclusion of the race.
NASCAR typically finalizes and releases its penalty decisions by Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Story in 60 Seconds

NASCAR has reportedly opted not to issue penalties to Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell following their post-race confrontation on the cooldown lap at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The sanctioning body generally issues its weekly penalty reports by Tuesday or Wednesday, but decided against taking disciplinary action regarding the incident.

The altercation sparked debate across the sport, with some commentators calling for sanctions against using cars aggressively post-race. Despite the outside criticism and concerns about driver conduct during the cooldown period, NASCAR treated the matter as resolved between the two drivers without formal reprimands.

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Why NASCAR is not penalizing Stenhouse, McDowell for post-race theatrics

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